Jagte Raho is a black and white film which describes the lifestyle of a villager who had travelled in an urban city full of evil acts. The film takes place over one long, bizarre night in a block apartment in the midst of the city. Raj Kapoor, a thirty villager, was seeking for water to quench his thirst. When heading to the direction with piped water in an apartment, he is hastily spotted and suspected of being a burglar. The accusations makes the villager run dearly for his life and hide in the safest apartments. In the process, Kapoor learns the bad city portrays high levels of corruption and bankruptcy.
Jugte Raho film give a picture of the way of life in India. Indian films demonstrates the issues of inequality and justice in the society. Most of existing systems are corrupt and fail to offer equal opportunities to the masses. For instance, it illustrates the differences between the rich and the poor, and also contrasts the urban and rural cultures. Kapoor represents the struggle experienced by the low class persons in the Indian society. The poor have no choice and are not respected by the high class individuals. The film demonstrates how Kapoor is chased away by the urban people as they chanted he is a thief after attempting to drink piped water. Also, the rich uses awful ways to amass wealth in the Indian society. In the city, there are many conmen who comes up with false activities and charges commission for that. For instance, Motihal is an alcoholic who vow that his wife will entertain people by singing in the western way and thereby collects money for the activity. Kapoor realizes that to survive in the city; one is supposed to be corrupt, immoral, and greedy. Within no time, the poor guy engages in an illegal money-printing business in a basement of an apartment.
Jugte Raho film is full of satire. It reveals the darker side of humanity, using one endless, uncanny night as the allegorical setting. During daytime, the apartment block comprises of highly respected persons. Ironically, the evilness that takes place during the night is unimaginable. For example, daughters are engaged in private sexual relations with cowardly men, and they do not heed their father’s advice. Husbands uses their wives’ jewelry as hostage to fortune. The film depicts how rich men of the city are always blemished and hypocritical.
The Jagte Rajo film fits suitably in the post-independence era. The film’s song is incorporated in a highly palatable fashion and it sends a radical message that has a soft tone and this makes the film very fascinating. The lyrics of the song are
Wake up, wake up, the whole world has woken up
the streets have woken up, the “nagars” (neighborhoods) have awoken
Wake up, wake up, wake up (RK Films).
According to the lyrics of the song, the residents of this area are asking God Krishna to help the urban society to believe in the spiritual concept of a new age. The director of the film uses the religious lyrics to make the message less vociferous to the audience. Successfully, it conveys the intended message that the working class people must wake up in unison and fight with a common objective of ending oppression so that they can have a brighter future.
The aspect of Nehruvian is a fascinating addition to the film’s director. The inclusion of Nehru depicts the inspiration of a democratic and socialist vision which is an outstanding ubiquitous force very common in 1950s film. The protagonist, Kapoor, observed the Nehruvian vision in the movie since it integrated a socialist bent and also paid close attention to the theme of social progress. There is a close similarity between Nehru and Kapoor family. For instance, at the end of the film, the camera focuses on Nehru’s portrait before the beginning of the final song, and then shifts focus to Kapoor’s face.
The inclusion of Prime Minister Nehru, the only member who had survived the wrath of the influential congress trio, with Gandhi and Sardar Patel. By referring to these prominent characters, the film tries to induce a note of nationalist optimism concerning the future by focusing on the portrait. Moreover, the incorporation of a conventional political figure may also be used to portray a radical message that includes progressive images that are meant to transform the Indian nation to a great extent.
Nehru’s portrait is the best example of the aspect of imagery as demonstrated in the film. The portrait brings hopes to audience as they are motivated to inspire people towards a nationalist optimism. Through the portrait, the film passes a radical message which brings forth change among the population. Furthermore, the film also demonstrates cinematic techniques, especially the use of cinematography. The director has used camera movement and different shot sizes to make it easier for the audience to understand the portrayed message. The filmmaker has also used movement and expression as a technique that derives meaning from the film. It helps the producer to bring images together, and the numerous ways of expression comprise of an angle of view, aerial shot, full frame, etc. The main characters in the film consist of Raj Kapoor, Chhabi Biswas, Pahari Sanyal, Nargis Dutt, and Daisy Irani.
Jagte Raho film helped me to realize that Indian films incorporate the Bengali-language cinema. The film uses the language and such are referred to as “parallel” or “art” cinema. Citing from the film, Indian movies that are classified as parallel cinema has a variety of features (Ganti 173). These includes the use of smaller budgets, superstars, elaborate sets, location shooting, the absence of song and dance sequences, lesser-known actors, and a naturalistic style of acting(Ganti 25). Most of the Indian films expresses the parallel cinema aspect. Mostly, the films are not concerned with commercials but are centered on politics and aesthetics. For instance, Kapoor is a poor guy who symbolizes the state of poverty within the society, and the filmmaker integrates music and melodrama to enlighten the target audience. The Hindi-language film industry believes that music must be incorporated in their films. The songs used in Jagte Raho are essential as they conveys the message to the viewers in a soft tone and this makes the film fascinating.
In conclusion, Jagte Raho film is a masterpiece. The director had the art to make the movie great. In the film, he expresses the issues that take place in the society in a perfect manner. The ideas in the film are consistent and coherent. The film demonstrates the use of a dream sequence in a song. The Bengali version is excellent, and the film has transformed the society to a great extent. Jagte Raho film reveals culture of the Indian people in the 1950s, as well as addressing the political issues that affected the day to day activities during that period. From the film, we understand that the Indian society is faced with numerous incidences of inequality and injustices. The rich people are concerned with their selfish interests and use corrupted means to generate massive wealth. The poor suffer in the hands of the rich and they are used as tools of labor. The Indian cinema plays a significant role by addressing the critical issues facing the country in this era.
Work cited
Ganti, Tejaswini. Bollywood: a guidebook to popular Hindi cinema. Routledge, 2013.
Juluri, Vamsee. Bollywood Nation: India through Its Cinema. Penguin UK, 2013.
RK Films. "Jagte Raho." YouTube. N.p., 24 June 2014. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.
