Having played a tramp in [[Awara]] (1951),
Kapoor elaborates his vagabond image further
with this sentimental story about Raju (Kapoor),
a country boy carrying the archetypal bundle on
the end of a stick over his shoulder, who tries to
make his fortune in Bombay. The city is
presented in terms of Abbas’s familiar
stereotypical contrast between the corruption of
the urban rich and the warm-hearted poor (e.g.
Pawar as the fruit-seller). Raju falls in love with
Vidya (Nargis), a poor schoolteacher who has a
paralysed father. Maya (Nadira) is the femme
fatale who embroils Raju in a decadent life. Raju
is seen gambling, playing the trumpet in a club,
surrounded by dancing-girls (the number
Mudmud ke na dekh), and he becomes a
conman in the employ of Maya’s friend Seth
Dharmanand, a ruthless capitalist.<br><br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3D3YNmg-Ak">Youtube</a><br><br>
When he is used to swindle the homeless, Raju
rebels and a lively chase involving a bag of
money provides the bridge to the happy ending.
Opening with the Chaplin number Mera Joota
hai japani (sung by Mukesh), the film includes
some of the star’s most famous star songs: the
carnivalesque Dil ka haal sune dilwala (sung by
Manna Dey) and the best-known Kapoor-Nargis
duet, performed in the rain as they fall in love,
Pyar hua ikraar hua (sung by Manna Dey and
Lata Mangeshkar).<br><br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlrOUiL_3oM">Youtube</a>
Did you know? The song "Mera Joota Hai Japani" ("My Shoes are Japanese"), sung by Mukesh, became a patriotic symbol for newly independent India. Read More
Raj Kapoor's son Rishi makes a special appearance in the song "Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua". In a 2017 interview, Rishi revealed that Nargis bribed him with chocolate to get him to co-operate for a shot.
The number 420 refers to Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with the offence of cheating. The term "Mr. 420" refers to a cheat.
The song "Mera Joota Hai Japani" ("My Shoes are Japanese"), sung by Mukesh, became a patriotic symbol for newly independent India.
The song "Mera Joota Hai Japani" is featured in the opening scene of Deadpool (2016).
Shri 420 1955
06 Sep 1955 ● Hindi ● 2 hrs 8 mins
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