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Focus on Raj Kapoor

Shree 420

Actor, director and mogul Raj Kapoor was one of the giants of Indian cinema and is synonymous with the rise of the monolith known as Bollywood.

Largely unknown in Australia, Kapoor is revered not only in India but throughout the Middle East and beyond for the films he made during the Golden Age of Indian cinema.

Thursday 16 February - Wednesday 14 March 2012
Full $15 Concession $12 ACMI Members $11
6 Session Pass: Full $72 Concession $60 ACMI Members $54
NB > Passes can only be purchased by phone (03 8663 2583) or in person at the Tickets & Information Desk

Bobby Zany sets and delightfully corny physical comedy are just some of the delights in this teen romance.

Fire (Aag) For audiences unfamiliar with Hindi cinema, this noir-ish melodrama is an ideal entry point.

Monsoon (Barsaat) Kapoor established an enduring team of collaborators while making his first mega-hit, Monsoon.

Stay Awake (Jagte raho) Raj Kapoor is his slapstick, Chaplin-esque best as a tramp on the hunt for a glass of water.

Sangam A hit around the world, Raj Kapoor's first colour film is three hours of pure spectacle.

Love Sublime/Love, Truth and Beauty (Satyam shivam sundaram) This raunchy psychedelic melodrama on love won two Filmfare Awards for music and cinematography.

God, Your River is Tainted (Ram teri ganga mailli) Kapoor uses the state of the Ganges as a metaphor for his country's endemic corruption.

Where the Ganges Flows (Jis desh mein ganga behti hai) This incarnation of Kapoor's trademark tramp bridges his earlier films with his future crowd pleasers.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Kal aaj aur kal) Starring three generations of Kapoors: Raj's father Prithviraj, Raj himself and son Randhir.

The Vagabond (Awaara) The first appearance of the Charlie Chaplin-inspired tramp persona that would make Kapoor famous.

Boot Polish Boot Polish was the second of Kapoor's films to be nominated for a Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1955.

My Name Is Joker (Meera naam joker) Kapoor's legendary box office disaster has had its reputation revived by Western critics who call it a self-reflexive masterwork.

Shree 420 Raj Kapoor plays a poor but educated orphan who arrives in Bombay with dreams of finding his fortune.