Jagte Raho ...

Jagte Raho (1956)

~ Stay awake or Stay Alert

Jagte Raho, is a 1956 black & white classic directed by the legendary Sombhu Mitra along with Amit Maitra and was produced by Raj Kapoor starring himself.

It's a brilliant comedy with a satirical take on the middle class life. The film revolves around the experience of a poor villager post his arrival to a city in search of a job.

Emotions flow aplenty in the movie with laughter, tears, entertainment, educative messages and at last but not the least a strong message for the society.
Not to forget the songs by Salil Chaudhary, the satirical yet rejuvenating Jaago rey, the superb Jaago Mohan Pyare Jaago and the powerful Bhangra number Main Koi Jhoot Boleya, still remain famous, classy and soothing. Especially the song/bhajan/hymn Jaago Mohan Pyare, where it was the last time people saw the legendary pair of Raj Kapoor and Nargis together on screen.

Having a struggle for a glass of water to drink as the central plot, the movie tries, and is very successful in that, to depict the struggles we face in day to day life. It's more of a fight of ideals between a simple villager and the complicated city/town dwellers. One comes in with an open mind while the other looks at everything with suspicion.

It's a clash of two worlds, a clash of two thought processes, a clash of simplicity and complexity, all beautifully portrayed by Raj Kapoor in a Chaplin-like way where he speaks very less and the movie gets on with pantomime most of the time.

Feeling thirsty and upon seeing a water tap in a compound of a large apartment complex, the innocent villager (Raj Kapoor) climbs over the wall and is mistaken for a thief. All the confusion and the chase that follow next form the crust of the movie.

As the movie progresses we come across many characters and the shady lives they live in terms of being 'Shareef'.
An abusing alcoholic husband, a wife's-jewellery-thieving man, counterfeit notes printing press, a doctor who's has no legitimate education and many more such inhabitants of the upscale neighbourhood are introduced in the film.

The innocent and naive villager is perplexed throughout the movie as to how come a simpleton like him is being victimised while there are so many grievous crimes going on. It's how you dress up the good to hide the evil. The mask that the town/city dwellers wear is disturbs him throughout.

I would humbly say, this is one of Raj Kapoor's best performances in many of his Charlie Chaplin inspired roles. Having said that, each and every member of the ensemble cast plays a memorable role as well.

Towards the end of the story there is a warm moment of interaction between the so-called thief and a child, into whose house the protagonist enters while trying to escape. Viewers get a lesson soon after that life must go on and we need to do a fresh start every dawn, every morning and every day.

The film ends as the dawn breaks, yes, it's a story of one night only, and as they always say, the way good prevails above the evil. If not anything, the film has all kinds of irony which provokes thought and realization as we watch it.
The character of Nargis, who plays a cameo and features in the ‘Jaago Mohan Pyare Jaago’ song, in apparently the last screen sharing with Raj Kapoor, finally quenches the thirst of the protagonist as the film takes us away from a lot of greed and corruption to a serene environment. She had never looked so beautiful and no scene has ever shown so much of romantic humanity.

This film proves, if not anything else, that Raj Kapoor was a thinker and used to make movies lot advanced than the times he used to live in. And adding the fine touch from Sombhu Mitra, it just leaves you spell bound.
Long live Raj Kapoor and Jaagte Raho!!!