Cult of Raj Kapoor: The Indian actor whose movies swept across the USSR during the Cold War
Across India, a three-day festival celebrated the centenary of the original showman of Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor. To commemorate his 100th birth anniversary, as many as 101 theatres in 34 cities screened seven of his most popular movies, including Awaara (1951), Jagte Raho (1956), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Sangam (1964) and Bobby (1975).
The iconic actor-filmmaker left a lasting legacy with his movies, which often explored profound themes like patriotism, romance, poverty, and human emotions.
“Shri Raj Kapoor was not just a filmmaker but a cultural ambassador who took Indian cinema to the global stage. Generations of filmmakers and actors can learn so much from him. I once again pay tributes to him and recall his contribution to the creative world,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, paying tribute to legendary actor.
Although an established name in India, Raj Kapoor was once also a through-and-through legend in Russia and other states in the erstwhile USSR. The actor and his movies enjoyed a cult following in the country and fueled Hindi-Rusi cultural ties. Actors like Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar had their own Russian fan following at the time, but the frenzy that Raj Kapoor triggered could only be rivalled by that of The Beatles.
No wonder, then, that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, run by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, is promoting an Indian film festival in Moscow (December 20-22) and St Petersburg (December 24) that will feature a special tribute to Raj Kapoor.
Cultural Diplomacy
The beginning of the Raj Kapoor craze in Russia dates back to when India began to develop diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union during the peak of the Cold War. In order to encourage cultural exchange with its distant northern neighbor, Indian cinema was employed as a significant tool.
It was after newly-elected Nikita Khrushchev relaxed cultural imports to the USSR that Kapoor’s films made their way past the Iron Curtain, which still remained closed to Hollywood and movies from other Western countries.
While Nimai Ghosh’s Chinnamul was the first Bollywood movie to be released in Russia, it was Raj Kapoor’s Awaara and Shree 420 (1955) that enthralled Soviet audiences.
Originally released in India in 1951, Awaara was dubbed and released as Bradagya in Russia in 1954, though the songs were retained in Hindi.
From being played at over 1,000 screens to playing on loop at official Russian banquets, it gained incredible popularity in the country. So much so that there were rumors that even dignitaries like former president Boris Yeltsin and the mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov hummed “Awaara Hoon,” a song from the movie.
Such was the Raj Kapoor phenomenon among the Soviets that he once got away with visa-free entry into the country, which was hardly known to be lax with protocol. As the story goes, during his trip to the Soviet Union in the 1980s, the actor had left his visa papers behind in Mumbai. As expected, he was stopped at the immigration counter, but to his great fortune, a senior official recognized him and warmly escorted him out.
Raj Kapoor’s son Rishi Kapoor, who passed away in 2020, once recalled a heartwarming anecdote of the adulation his father received in Moscow. The actor was on the road, waiting for a taxi, when people began to recognize him. After he seated himself in a cab, he realized to his surprise that the vehicle wasn’t moving forward but upward! This was because his overjoyed fans had hoisted the taxi up on their shoulders.
We must also make mention of Soviet singer-songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky’s “Song about Yogis,” which refers to Raj Kapoor as one of the three best-known symbols of Indian culture in the USSR, besides Lord Shiva and yoga.
Appeal to Soviet Hearts
Back in the fifties, when the Soviet Union remained devastated following the war with Germany and the lives of most people were in shambles, it was watching Raj Kapoor’s Awaara and Shree 420 that gave them hope, as they watched the poor in India face their hardship in good spirits. Awaara went on to earn 37.75 million rubles and also debuted at Indian film festivals in Moscow and Leningrad, where it reportedly drew roughly 1.5 million viewers in four days.
The movie earned acclaim for its discussion of poverty, the class divide in society and the struggle against exploitation—ideals that resonated with the communist philosophy of the USSR. The unfiltered optimism portrayed by Raj Kapoor’s character was just what the Soviet people needed at the time, commenters in Russia often suggest.
Moreover, for Soviet audiences who were accustomed to unembellished cinematic traditions, the emotional storytelling style of Raj Kapoor’s movies and their vibrant song-and-dance sequences were a refreshing change. “Awaara Hoon” became an anthem of Indian culture in the country, and his chemistry with co-star Nargis was much appreciated.
Furthermore, one can’t forget Marina, the Russian trapeze artist from Mera Naam Joker (1970) played by Russian ballet dancer Kseniya Ryabinkina. Marina was one of Raj Kapoor’s character’s love interests in the movie. Kseniya, who had travelled to Mumbai in 2016 for the actor's 92nd birth anniversary memorial, remembers her co-star fondly and even maintains that she’s best remembered as “Marina of Raj Kapoor.”
Another aspect of Awaara that struck a chord with Russian audiences was his portrayal of the lovable tramp that was reminiscent of English comic actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin. From his costume to body language, his subsequent Chaplinesque roles stayed with the country’s people.
Decades later, Moscow and New Delhi are revitalizing their cultural ties, including cooperation in cinema, by producing films and promoting scenic locations for shooting.
