- Jagte Raho
Infobox Film
name = Jagte Raho
image_size =
caption = Film poster
director =Amit Mitra Sombhu Mitra
producer =Raj Kapoor
writer =K. A. Abbas Amit Mitra Sombhu Mitra
starring =Raj Kapoor
music =Salil Choudhury
cinematography =Radhu Karmakar
editing =G. G. Mayekar Vasant Sule
distributor =R.K. Films Ltd.
released = 1956
runtime = 149 min.
country =India
language =Hindi /Bengali
budget =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0049378"Jagte Raho" (meaning "Stay Awake" or "Stay Alert") is a 1956 film directed by
Amit Mitra andSombhu Mitra , produced by and starringRaj Kapoor . The film centers on the trials of a poor villager (Kapoor) who comes to a city 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 byNargis in the final scene.Plot summary
A poor peasant (Kapoor) from the village, who comes to the city in search of work, is looking for some water to quench his thirst. He unwittingly enters an apartment building, 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 building 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 resistance, 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 leaves the apartment building, 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.
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 Jhoot Boleya" and "Jaago Mohan Pyaare" are still remembered by people as classics.
Cast
*
Raj Kapoor
*Nargis (guest appearance)
*Motilal
*Pradip Kumar
*Sumitra Devi
*Sulochana Chatterjee
*Smriti Biswas
*Daisy IraniAwards
A shortened version of the film won the Grand Prix at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival inCzechoslovakia in 1957.External links
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
