Movies - Jagte Raho

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	Movies - Jagte Raho

Jagte Raho (that is, Always Be Awake) is a 1956 film directed by Amit Mitra and Sombhu Mitra, starring Raj Kapoor. The film centers on the trials of a poor villager (Kapoor) who comes to Calcutta in search of a better life. However, the naive man soon becomes trapped in a web of middle-class greed and corruption. The film also features a cameo by Nargis in the final scene.

Plot summary

A poor peasant (Kapoor) from the village, who comes to Calcutta in search of work, is looking for some water to quench his thirst. He unwittingly enters an apartment, whose residents take him for a thief and chase him. He runs from one flat to the other trying to escape his predicament. Along the way, he witnesses many shady undertakings in the flats where he hides. Ironically, these crimes are being committed by the so called "respectable" citizens of the city, who by day, lead a life totally in contrast to their nighttime deeds behind closed doors.

He is shocked by these events, and tries to escape by evading the search parties, that are patrolling the apartment in search of the elusive thief. He is unfortunately seen, and people chase him to the roof of the building. He puts up a brave resistence, and then descends by the water pipes onto the porch of a flat. He goes in to find a young girl (Daisy Irani). She talks to him and kindles a self belief in the peasant, who determinedly tries to face the adversity waiting outside. But when he ventures out of the flat, he is surprised to find that nobody takes notice of him. He eventually moves out of the apartment, his thirst still unquenched. He hears a beautiful song and searching for its source arrives at the doorstep of a woman (Nargis) drawing water from a well. His thirst is finally assuaged.

Direction

Jagte Raho is written and directed by the legendary Bengali actor Shombhu Mitra. Amit Moitra was the co-director. This is one of the two films directed by Mitra, the other being the Bangla language film Shubho Bibaho. Mitra provides a remarkable insight about the mindset of the Indian middle-class. The film is an apologue dealing with the good vs. evil theme. Since the whole film is based on the events of a single night in the city, the new premise employed by Mitra, wherein most of the film is shot in an apartment building, can be considered a very adroit experiment.

Acting

The film is very fluid and the characters are far removed from each other. Raj Kapoor's role of the poor peasant was hailed as unforgettable both by critics and audiences. He is ably supported by others, especially Motilal, who plays the role of a drunkard to perfection.

Jagte Raho marks the last time that Raj Kapoor and Nargis appear together in a film.

Music

Other than the acting, the music is the highlight of the film. Lyrics are by Shailendra and Prem Dhawan and music is by Salil Choudhary. The songs Zindagi Khwaab Hai, Main Koi Jhooth Boleya and Jaago Mohan Pyaare are still remembered by people as classics.

Cast

Raj Kapoor
Nargis
Motilal
Pradip Kumar
Sumitra Devi
Sulochana Chatterjee
Smriti Biswas
Daisy Irani

Awards

A shortened version of the film won the Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary film festival in Czechoslovakia in 1957.

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