Bhokta kataar hai? When Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema developed dislike for exploited

By Rajiv Shah

On December 14 falls the birth centenary of Raj Kapoor, referred to as a legend who acquired international fame – especially in the former Soviet Union – at a time when few others in Bollywood could dream of reaching that level. Undoubtedly one of the best actors who during the early black and white days showed his empathy towards the underdog -- Awara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), and Jagte Raho (1956), to name just a few -- he is also called the Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema because he often portrayed a tramp-like figure.

Teesri Kasam (1966), directed by Basu Bhattacharya, was Raj Kapoor's last black-and-white film. A critically acclaimed movie based on Phanishwarnath Renu's powerful longish short story “Mare Gaye Gulfam”, Raj Kapoor played the role of a simple bullock cart driver, Hiraman, opposite Waheeda Rehman, who portrayed a nautanki dancer, Hirabai, sought to be sexually exploited by a local landlord.
While an earlier Raj Kapoor film Sangam (1964), a romantic love story, was his first colour film, and was a great commercial success, shot as it was on locations in London, Paris and Switzerland, Teesri Kasam, directed by Basu Chatterjee and produced by lyricist Sailendra, was intentionally made in black and white to suit its rural and earthy narrative. Despite its commercial underperformance at the time, the film gained recognition for its artistic merit and emotional depth.
Whi)e shedding the underdog image has been a Bollywood norm, Raj Kapoor’s 1970 film Mera Naam Joker (1970, also in colour(, considered his autobiographical movie, suggests how far he could go in this respect, away from the black and white movies which he had acted.

Here, I would like to specifically reflect on the song which had disturbed me for decades for what appears to be its stupid philosophical garb -- “Ay bhai dekh ke chalo”. Sung by Manna Dey, written by Neeraj, and composed by Shankar Jaikishan, I am surprised none appears to have objected to its following lines:
“Kaisa hai karishma
Kaisa khilwad hai
Janwar aadmi se
Zyada wafadar hai
Khata hai koda bhi
Rahta hai bhukha bhi
Fir bhi vo malik par
Karta nahi war hai
Aur insan yah?
Maal jis ka khata hai
Pyar jis se pata hai
Geet jiske gata hai
Usike hi sine me
bhokta katar hai.”
Its rough translation is:
“What is this miracle,
What is this trickery?
The animal is more loyal
Than human being.
Even when it is beaten up by the master,
It remains hungry,
But never attacks his master.
And the human being?
He eats his master's wealth,
Gets love from his master,
Sings songs in in praise of his master,
Yet, hits the dagger,
In the chest of the same master...”
There is a clear undercurrent of hate towards the underdog in this song. While acting on this song, I wonder, why didn’t Raj Kapoor object to these lines? After all, they suggest, the worker must remain loyal to the wealthy master, come what may, and learn from the animal on how to be loyal to his boss, however much he (or she) suffers.
So, from all indications, the master is above law – a clear negation of the great films which Raj Kapoor did in black and white, where the exploited masters are more often than not taken to task. The message is loud and clear: Don't rebel against the unjust master.
Ironically, the film was partly made with the participation of Soviet actors and was partly shot in Moscow. In the former Soviet Union – the country which claimed to have first fought against exploitation in any form – it became a blockbuster. At the Soviet box office, after its release in 1972, w whopping 73.1 million tickets were sold!

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