The film expresses socialist themes,[1][4] and blends social and reformist themes with the crime, romantic comedy and musicalmelodrama genres.[5] The plot centers on the intertwining lives of a poor thief Raj (played by Raj Kapoor), the privileged Rita (played by Nargis), and Judge Raghunath (played by Prithviraj Kapoor) who is unaware that Raj is his son. In the film, Kapoor's poor "little tramp" character references Charlie Chaplin and was further developed in other Kapoor films such as Shree 420. Awaara is considered a milestone in the history of Bollywood.
Raghunath, a wealthy district judge who believes that "good people are born to good people, and criminals are born to criminals", convicts Jagga, son of a criminal, of rape with thin evidence. Jagga later escapes and kidnaps the judge's wife, Leela, for revenge. When Jagga finds out that Leela has just become pregnant, he releases her after four days and changes his plan. However, people suspect Leela of adultery and Raghunath throws her out of their house, rejecting her pleas that the child is his.
Leela gives birth to Raj on the streets, and they both live in poverty. Raj befriends Rita in school. He is removed from the school rolls while trying to maintain a job as a shoeshiner, and Rita moves to another city. Jagga convinces Raj to steal in order to save his starving mother. Raj grows up into a skilled criminal, going in and out of jail, and works for Jagga's gang. Leela thinks that he is a businessman. Raj never forgets Rita, keeping her birthday picture at his home.
For a bank robbery, Jagga asks Raj to steal an automobile. He snatches a woman's purse when she steps out of the car but finds no keys. He pretends to pursue the thief in order to ward off any suspicion and returns the purse to the woman, who is charmed by his personality and apparent selflessness. Later, when Raj successfully steals a car, he hides from the police in a mansion where he meets the same woman. Seeing the same birthday picture, Raj realises that she is his school friend Rita. He tells Rita he's a thief, but his figurative statements make her think he is a finance professional. Rita, now studying law, is a ward of Raghunath, who is suspicious when he hears that Raj doesn't know who his father is. Raj and Rita fall in love. Worrying that Rita will not accept him due to his thievery, Raj starts working at a factory but is fired when the manager finds out that he was a thief.
Rita invites him to her birthday party. Raj goes back to Jagga for a loan so that he can buy a gift for her. Jagga mocks his attempts to reform and asks him to commit more crimes. Raj refuses but later steals a necklace from a man on the street, not knowing the man was Raghunath. At Rita's birthday, when Raj gives her a necklace without a case and Raghunath gives her a case without a necklace, she realises that Raj is indeed a thief. Rita goes to Raj's mother and learns his life story. She decides that Raj is not bad but was forced into committing crimes by bad influences and desperate surroundings. Raj is ashamed, still believing he is no good for her, but Rita forgives him.
Raj goes to Raghunath to ask if he can marry Rita, but the judge turns him away. Meanwhile, Jagga and the gang commit the bank robbery, but it goes wrong and they have to run from the police. Jagga hides in Raj's house, where Leela recognizes him and he attacks her. Raj enters and fights him off, killing Jagga in self-defense. Raj goes on trial for Jagga's death, with Raghunath as the judge. When Leela goes to the courthouse to provide her eyewitness account, she sees Raghunath and chases after him but is struck by a car. Rita collects the testimony from Leela in the hospital, and later Raj is allowed to visit her. Leela tells Raj that Raghunath is his father and asks her son to forgive him. Raj only becomes angry at Raghunath for making him and his mother suffer.
Raj escapes from jail and tries to kill Raghunath for revenge but is stopped by Rita. Rita defends Raj in the trial for assault, who reveals the father-son relationship. Raj chooses not to defend his actions and says that he is a bad man. He asks the court not to think of him, but the millions of other children who grow up in poverty and end up turning to crime because high society does not care about them. While he awaits his verdict, Raj is visited by Raghunath, who finally accepts that Raj is his son and tearfully asks for forgiveness. In the end, Raj is spared execution but sentenced to three years in prison for his crime. He promises that after getting released, he will reform himself for Rita, who promises to wait for him.
The film is a collaboration of the famous team of director/producer Raj Kapoor and writer Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. Abbas originally wanted Mehboob Khan to direct the film, but the two disagreed over the casting. Khan wanted Ashok Kumar to play the judge and Dilip Kumar the son. In the event, Abbas withdrew his script from Mehboob Studios and Raj Kapoor decided to direct it.[15] This film was filmed in RK Studio and Bombay.
In 2003, Time magazine included it in a list of "10 Indian Films to Treasure".[19]Time magazine also chose Raj Kapoor's performance in Awaara as one of the top ten greatest performances of all time.[20] In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the "Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films", writing: "Whenever Raj Kapoor and Nargis came together on screen, sparks flew. Their chemistry was electrifying and it crackles with raw passion in Raj Kapoor's Awaara. Nargis's wild and carefree sensuality pulsates and Raj Kapoor's scruffy hair-rebellious persona only adds fuel to the fire".[21]Time magazine included the film among the 20 new entries added to All-Time 100 greatest films in 2012.[22][23][24]
In India, the film grossed a record of ₹2.1 crore in 1951,[25] making it the highest-grossing film in India up until that time.[38] This record was later beaten the next year by Mehboob Khan's Aan (1952), starring Dilip Kumar, which grossed ₹2.5 crore in 1952.[39]
In Turkey, Awaara released in 1955. The film sold 100,000 tickets in its first week of release in Turkey. The total number of box office admissions in Turkey is currently unknown.[18][29]
Soviet Union
In the Soviet Union, Awaara was released in 1954,[40] debuting at Indian film festivals in Moscow and Leningrad which drew about 1.5 million viewers in four days.[41] By the end of the year, it drew an audience of about 64million viewers in its initial run, the highest for any film in the Soviet Union at the time, until its record was surpassed by Amphibian Man in 1962.[3] At the Soviet box office, Awaara remained the most-viewed Indian film, the third biggest foreign hit of all time,[42][43] and one of the top 20 biggest hits of all time.[3][42][44]
In terms of gross revenue, Awaara earned 29million Rbls[30] ($7.25million,[n 3]₹34.5 million)[n 2] in its initial run, surpassing Aan to become the highest-grossing Indian film overseas at the time. Awaara's 29million руб was eventually surpassed by Disco Dancer (1982),[8][45] which grossed 60 million руб in the Soviet Union.[45] Including re-runs, which were running for 10–12 years, Awaara's footfalls in the Soviet Union amounted to about 100million box office admissions, which remains among the highest for an Indian film in an overseas market.[12]
China
The film was also a success in China, where it first released in 1955. In its opening week, the film sold 4 million tickets, including 1.43 million admissions earning a distribution rental income of about CN¥100,000 in Beijing alone.[34] Its 4 million opening-week ticket sales were equivalent to estimated opening-week rentals of approximately CN¥280,000[34] ($114,000).[35] Prior to its 1978 re-release, the film's initial run had sold a total of 40million tickets in China.[34]
The film's 1978 re-release was a greater commercial success in China.[46][47] Following its re-release, the film went on to sell a total of more than 100million tickets,[11] and was the second highest-grossing Indian film in China behind only Nasir Hussain's Caravan (1971).[34]
Legacy
The song "Awaara Hoon" and actor Raj Kapoor were widely known across China and the Soviet Union. The film's success in both the Soviet Union and China has been attributed to the socialist themes expressed in the film.[1][4]
The film Awaara and the song "Awaara Hoon" are believed to have been among Chairman Mao's favourite films and songs, respectively.[4][20]Awaara was referenced in the 2000 Chinese filmPlatform.[48]
In 2023, Time Out ranked it #20 on its list of the "100 Best Bollywood Movies."[49]
Remakes
Due to the film's remarkable success with Turkish audiences, Awaara was remade in Turkey a total of eight times. The first and most prominent Turkish film remake was Avare (1964) starring actor Sadri Alışık and actress Ajda Pekkan, another Turkish remake was Benim Gibi Sevenler [tr] (1977) by Temel Gürsu.[50][29][51]
There was also an Iranian film remake, called The Wheel of the Universe (1967). However, this version may have been a remake of the Turkish remake Avare, rather than a direct remake of the original Awaara.[52]
^ abcdLinda Badley; R. Barton Palmer; Steven Jay Schneider (2006), Traditions in world cinema, Rutgers University Press, 2006, ISBN978-0-8135-3874-7, To this day 'Awaara hoon' ('I'ma vagabond'), the title song of Raj Kapoor's Awaara ('The Vagabond', 1951) remains well known throughout Russia, which the director- star visited, and China, where both the song and film were said to be Chairman Mao's favourites
^ abcdNatasa Ďurovičová (31 August 2009), World cinemas, transnational perspectives, Taylor & Francis, 2010, ISBN978-0-415-97653-4, hearing the hit theme song "Awaara Hoon" ("I am wayward") hummed on the streets of Nanjing. Then, traveling through a small town in a more remote part of China, Seth has to perform the song on request at a local gathering: 'No sooner have I begun than I find that the musicians have struck up the accompaniment behind me: they know the tune better than I do
^ abRajagopalan, Sudha (2005). Indian Films in Soviet Cinemas: The Culture of Movie-going After Stalin. Indiana University Press. p. 86. ISBN9780253220998. The purchase of Shree 420 (Mr 420/Gospodin 420) followed a letter from a Soveksportfil'm representative in Bombay to officials in Moscow in which the former wrote: We are in a delicate situation with Raj Kapoor. He feels he is not being offered enough for Mr 420 despite the fact that 'The Vagabond' raised 29 million roubles for the Soviet state.
^"Archived copy". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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