Why Nargis was important to RK

By: Screen Weekly, IndiaFM
Monday, February 05, 2007
Raj Kapoor for his part was too conscious of his prerogatives as a man to concede much to a woman. But there can be no doubt that Nargis was the finest artistic asset he had under his RK Films banner. This became clear after the two broke up around 1957. Nargis went on to make Mother India that year, considered by many to be the zenith of her career. In contrast, not a single film of note came out of RK Studios after Nargis left. Indeed, Ab Dilli Dur Nahi, which came out in the year of the break-up, is generally considered the poorest of RK Films's offerings. Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) had the usual formula ingredients, but was without the easy spontaneity that made his earlier movies so heart-warming. This film pointed to a fundamental shift in Raj Kapoor's very approach to cinema. He now found resorting to tawdry sex appeal necessary. Padmini's 'assets' were used with a blatancy never seen during the Nargis phase.

Clearly, the Nargis-Raj Kapoor combination was good for cinema, just as their break-up was bad for Raj Kapoor's cinema. While it lasted, it was the most celebrated love affair of the time. So perfect was the chemistry between them that even ordinary poses struck instinctively by them became classic images of India's entertainment lore. One of these poses became the famous logo of RK Films: Nargis flowing over the arm of a violin-bearing Raj. Another, a simple shot from Shree 420, showing the two of them sheltering under an umbrella in heavy rain, tugs at heartstrings for completely inexplicable reasons.

What is undeniable is that Nargis and Raj Kapoor brought an unprecedented openness to screen romance. Meena Kumari, the prototype of the romantic heroine, was forever sacrificing and suffering. She was aptly described as the 'tragedy queen' because with her, romance was inseparable from tragedy.

Nargis and Raj Kapoor revolutionised the concept of romance by boldly projecting love as a prerogative of the young. They looked as though they were made for the part. She was vulnerably feminine if also happily submissive. He was impishly masculine if also happily submissive. Adoring each other unabashedly, they turned romance into a joyous celebration. Instead of feeling guilty, they revelled in it. They did retain the concept of paid and part of the ecstasy of love; it would not be Indian otherwise. But the Nargis heroine was proud of her emotions, full of self-esteem and ready to fight for her right to love and be loved.

In Barsaat, an entirely new idiom of screen romance was at work. His fingers tenderly probing around her mouth, her head tilting in a gesture of total submission, his hands fondly rustling her hair, her eyes catching fire as she looked at him - this was intuitive romancing, honest and unpremeditated. In the sixteen pictures in which they starred together, love was not always the central theme. Yet the wondrous aura surrounding the pair gave the films an extraordinary pitch and panache.

Raj Kapoor's place in Indian cinema is historical, entrenched and unique. It may therefore seem invidious to suggest that his artistic wellsprings were not as deep as Nargis's. Yet that conclusion is inevitable when their contrasting trajectories after the break-up are taken into consideration. Mother India is proof of Nargis's unmatched ability to summon up inner reserves of inspiration and propel herself to new levels of excellence, Raj Kapoor or no Raj Kapoor. Her role covered the entire span of life, from a young wife to an old woman. It called for a complete range of emotions, from romance and rustic toughness to a manifestation of womanly resolve that would prompt her to shoot her own son when he tried to abduct a girl. She brought a raw power to bear on her performance. It was a Nargis who had attained a fullness of artistic maturity.

That Nargis scaled the summit of achievement with her performance in Mother India was acknowledged by all. Abroad, she won an award at the Karlovy Vary festival. At home, Dilip Kumar said, 'Her best picture is Mother India. Her second best picture is Mother India. Her third best picture is Mother India.' Thirty years after the picture was released, a reviewer wrote, 'Mother India is to Nargis what The Godfather is to Marlon Brando and The Sound of Music to Julie Andrews. The role and the film are inextricably entwined in the mind of the public so much so that the two are almost one.'

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