Showing posts with label RK Films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RK Films. Show all posts

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Major Fire Gutted the Iconic R K STUDIO


A major fire on 16th Sept 2017  gutted the iconic RK Studio, founded by Indian film legend Raj Kapoor.The Studio was founded in 1945 and the first film was released in 1948.What an Irony that the studio's first film was Aag got gutted withAag(Fire).

The films made under the R K banner include "Aag", "Barsaat", "Awaara", "Shri 420", "Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai", "Mera Naam Joker", "Bobby", "Satyam Shivam Sundaram", "Ram Teri Ganga Maili", among others. The last film made under the banner was "Aa Ab Laut Chalen".As per Rishi Kapoor the the iconic Stage where the song Om Shanti Om of Karz was  shot is completely gutted.Several Manmohan Desai and Yash Chopra films have also been shot at the same set. Some costumes of RK Studio were burnt in the fire."


No one was present on the set while the studio caught fire. There is no casualty or injuries whatsoever. Cost of damage is not ascertained yet,The blaze has gutted one of the main shooting venues – the set of dance reality TV show ‘Super Dancer Season 2’, but the shooting was not underway. 

Thursday 14 September 2017

Glory of R K Films and Studio


The golden era of Bollywood starts from this studio, though its first film Aag that couldn’t do well at the box office. Many super hit films were made by R.K. Films including,AwaaraBoot PolishShree 420 and Bobby. Raj Kapoor, the show man of Indian cinema was behind this time initiative ahead of its time. 

 The studio complex still stands as a proud symbol in Chembur, a suburb in eastern Mumbai.

Raj Kapoor established RK Films in 1948. The first film under the banner 'Aag' was a failure. In 1949, Raj Kapoor's first commercial success came with 'Barsaat', starring Nargis. One of the posters of Barsaat showed Raj Kapoor holding Nargis in one arm and a violin in another. The poster itself became iconic.

The studio started in 1950.As per Raj Kapoor“Once when I was shooting for Awara, I had completed 13 days of shooting in a studio when on the 14th day I was asked to dismantle my sets because the studio had been hired to someone else. I was very upset and that day I decided to make my own studio. I put together all the money I had and laid the foundation of RK Studio.” 

After the success Awara 1951 Aah was released in 1953 The film was produced by Raj Kapoor and directed by Raja NawatheThe film was rated "Below Average" at the box office but has various hit songs like "Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat", "Aaja Re Ab Mera Dil Pukara" and "Jaane Na Nazar".By this time Nargis became the in house heroine of R K Films.  Boot PolishJagte Raho and Shri 420 followed. 

Shri 420 was the third film directed by Raj Kapoor,it  was the highest-grossing Indian film of 1955, and the song "Mera Joota Hai Japani", sung by Mukesh, became popular and a patriotic symbol of the newly independent India.In 1960 Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai released.The film was directed by Radhu Karmakar and produced by Raj Kapoor. The film stars Kapoor, Pran and Padmini in lead roles. This was the first directorial venture of Karmakar who had previously been cinematographer for many of Kapoor's films. The film was declared "Hit" at the box office.

Another Gem from R K Films came in 1964,Sangam a Bollywood Romance film written by Inder Raj Anand, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor. The film stars Vyjayanthimala in the lead role opposite Raj Kapoor and Rajendra Kumar.It was Raj Kapoor's first colour film, distinguished by its technicolor and epic length (even by Bollywood standards). It is also considered the Magnum Opus or best work of Raj Kapoor.One of the features of the film that became widely used later on in Bollywood is the use of foreign locales for on-location shooting, such as VeniceParis, and Switzerland.   

After Sangam became a blockbuster, Mera Naam Joker was highly anticipated as it was under production for six years and was heavily publicized to be loosely based on Raj Kapoor's own life. Upon release the film turned out to be a critical and commercial disaster putting Kapoor into a financial crisis.In1971 Kal Aaj aur Kal produced by Raj Kapoor and directed by his son Randhir Kapoor released. The film's USP is the appearance of three generations of the famous Kapoor Family starring Prithviraj Kapoor, his son Raj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor's son Randhir Kapoor (in his acting debut) and Randhir's real-life wife-to-be Babita. It was a a moderate success at the box office.

After the debacle of Mera Naam Joker the financiers and distributors were dictating terms to RK so Bobby a teenage love story was planned.Bobby released in 1973 The film became a blockbuster, the top-grossing Indian hit of 1973,
R K Films were now making films under the direction of Randhir Kapoor also, Dharam Karam is a 1975 Hindi film produced by Raj Kapoor and directed by Randhir Kapoor, who also star as father and son in the film, respectively. The film performed "below average" at the box office.

Satyam Shivam Sundaram was the next R K Film released in 1978,starring Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman, directed by Raj Kapoor and written by Jainendra Jain.After this Raj Kapoor directed 2 films Prem Rog(1982)  and Ram Teri Ganga Maili(1985). It was Raj Kapoor's last film. The film became a "Blockbuster" at the box office and went on to be the highest grossing Hindi film of 1985. 
When Raj Kapoor died in 1988 in the middle of shooting 'Henna', Randhir took over the studio. His younger brother Rajiv Kapoor directed PremGranth in 1996; Rishi Kapoor directed Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999). Hereafter the Kapoors have produced no  film under the R.K. Films banner. 
TOP 10 HIT SONGS OF R K FILMS
Song from Aag 1948


Song from Barsat 1949


Song from Awara 1951


Song from Aah 1953


Song from Boot Polish 1954


Song from Shree 420 1955


Song from Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai 1960


Song from Sangam  1964


Song from Mera Naam Joker 1970


Song from Bobby 1973