Aag

More than six decades back, a very young man proved his talent at a very tender age of 24 years and within less than a decade, that young man started being called as the showman of Indian cinema and amassed a lot of respect. This 24 years old youth was Raj Kapoor who had demonstrated his worth in his directorial debut itself which was Aag (1948).

Aag (fire) is an emotional story whose protagonist Kewal (Raj Kapoor) wants to make it big in the world of theatre. He starts cherishing this dream since his childhood itself and one more extension of his dream is to stage the classic story of Sanskrit poet - Bilwamangal and his sweetheart - Chintamani with himself playing the role of Bilwa, the hero and his childhood buddy - Nimmi playing the role of Chintamani, the heroine. Destiny separates Nimmi from him and after growing up, not only he starts pursuing his dream with the help of Rajan (Prem Nath) but also searches his Nimmi only in every girl he comes across. However, his thirst of getting the association of his childhood-love, Nimmi in his life and his theatre-world remains unquenched. The ladies entering his life have to leave him due to the worldly constraints. One day, out of frustration, he sets his own theatre on fire and gets burnt. His face is disfigured and uglified due to the burnings suffered. However, finally he gets married to a girl selected by his parents, only to get the most pleasant surprise of his life on their first conjugal night.

This black and white movie is a showcase of the brilliance and the abundant talent of the great artist - Raj Kapoor. How he could make popular and impressive movies becomes clear when we watch this maiden venture of himself as a filmmaker (producer as well as director). He had the vision and the ability to pick the pulse of the audience as to what it thought and what it wanted to see on the screen. Aag is not so pleasant as his later movies are. In fact, it is a dark movie, delving deep into the psyche of a youth with sky in his eyes and the pain of losing his childhood-love in his heart. The fact that the hero tries to locate his childhood-love (Nimmi) in every woman he comes across tells a lot about the passionate love and the peculiar lover-psyche. When a girl Nirmala (Kamini Kaushal) has to part ways with him quite reluctantly, the viewer is able to see and realize the pain in her heart (in addition to the pain in the heart of the hero). It's the sheer brilliance of Raj Kapoor that he repeated this scene (with the same dialogues bidding farewell to her) after a few reels with another leading lady (Nargis) and no monotony is felt by the viewer. In the climax, the viewer can empathize with the happiness of the protagonist as well.

Raj Kapoor could make his musical team properly with his second movie - Barsaat (1949) only. However at least one member of his musical team - Mukesh got associated with him in this movie itself and he sang one of the most memorable songs for him in this movie only - Zinda Hoon Is Tarah Ki Gham-e-Zindagi Nahin (a pain-soaked Ghazal authored by Behzaad Lakhnavi). Ram Ganguly composed touching songs for this movie including Kaahe Koyal Shor Machaaye Re, Dekh Chaand Ki Or, Raat Ko Ji Chamke Taare, Dil Toot Gaya Ji Chhoot Gaya, Solah Baras Ki Bhayi Umariya etc.

This movie cannot boast of high production value considering the limited resources of Raj Kapoor at that time. Still technically, it is admirable by all means. Cinematographer has done a brilliant job in conveying the intensity of the story with the use of lights and shadows. In fact, I feel that considering the dark nature of the story and its presentation, it's good that it got made in the black and white era. The lack of colours has assisted the darkness embedded in the screenplay and the characters to come out vividly before the audience.

Performance wise talking, Raj Kapoor has proved in Aag that he was not just an excellent director, he was an equally excellent actor too. He has depicted the ambitions, emotions and frustration of the young protagonist very well through his eyes, gestures and voice. Nargis got associated with the R.K. Banner with this movie and gave the glimpses of the famous Raj-Nargis chemistry that became properly visible in the later movies of the banner. Kamini Kaushal and Nigar Sultana have also done pretty well.

One interesting trivia is that three decades later to Aag, Raj Kapoor again used the incident of the burning of the face of a lead character in Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978). This time, it was the heroine of the movie. The sound of the foot-steps of Raj Kapoor's much later and over-ambitious project - Mera Naam Joker (1970) can also be heard in this movie (through the coming in and going out of women in the protagonist's life).

I recommend this black and white emotional saga to all the fans of Raj Kapoor, all the viewers liking emotional movies and those who are interested in knowing how the art of filmmaking got evolved in Bollywood post the Independence of our country. Despite, certain weaknesses and certain over the top things, this maiden venture of the great showman is highly laudable.

1st watched 5/21/2009 – 7 out of 10 (Dir-Raj Kapoor): Wonderful romantic musical drama about a tormented artist and his search for true love. The story begins with him as a disfigured older man and then he tells the story starting with him at age 10 encountering a girl named Neemi, whom he befriends and wants to perform on stage with at his pretend theater. That girl leaves before she's able to do this and leaves him heartbroken. Ten years later as he's going to college he encounters another girl, whom he names Neemi in remembrance of his former friend, but then she also leaves before accomplishing the task. After failing a test in college, he boldly leaves his family to start a theatre, though this is against his family's wishes. He opens a theatre company but is still searching for his Neemi. He thinks he finds her but his best friend also is in love with her and this causes him to disfigure himself by setting the stage and himself on fire. This is a compelling story that is well played, but it is almost overly-dramatic especially the scene with him leaving the family(probably because this is just not done in their culture). The movie does end on a good note, although I won't give away the ending. The total film is really well put together. If you can handle the many Indian musical numbers you should enjoy the movie. The story, in itself, is enough to recommend the movie despite it being a little bit overdone.

'Aag' is not just a film; it's a historical milestone in Indian cinema. Directed, produced, and starring the legendary Raj Kapoor, this 1948 classic marked the debut of Kapoor as a filmmaker and laid the foundation for the illustrious R. K. Films banner¹.

The film tells a poignant tale of unfulfilled love and the relentless pursuit of one's dreams. It's a story that resonates with the viewer, as it delves into the life of Kewal (played by Raj Kapoor), whose passion for theater and the arts drives the narrative forward. The younger version of Kewal, portrayed by Shashi Kapoor, adds a layer of depth to the character's backstory.

What stands out in 'Aag' is the masterful use of lighting and shadows, a testament to the brilliant cinematography that conveys the intensity of the story even in the absence of color². The black and white format accentuates the emotional gravity of the film, allowing the audience to feel the 'fire' that burns within the protagonist.

Raj Kapoor's performance is nothing short of extraordinary. He brings to life Kewal's ambitions, emotions, and frustrations with such authenticity that one cannot help but empathize with his plight. Nargis, in her role, sparks the famous Raj-Nargis chemistry that would become a hallmark of their future collaborations¹.

Despite the constraints of the era, 'Aag' stands as a technically admirable piece. It's a film that showcases the evolution of Bollywood post-independence and the artistry that has shaped the industry.

In conclusion, 'Aag' is a cinematic gem that deserves to be celebrated for its emotional depth, technical prowess, and groundbreaking contributions to Indian cinema. It's a must-watch for anyone interested in the history of filmmaking and the timeless stories that continue to inspire generations.

Story: Below average Kewal's wedding night is interrupted by his disfigured face. He tells Sudha his story, which unfolds through flashbacks. Kewal pursues theatre despite family pressure.

The narrative seamlessly blends elements of a poignant love story with the lead character Kewal's profound journey of self-discovery. Kewal, an ardent theater enthusiast, finds himself at odds with his family's legacy of law, which his father insists he should follow. Throughout the story, Kewal's romantic endeavors are marked by heartbreak, as the women he falls for ultimately leave him, adding to his emotional turmoil. The climax was absolute unrspecial but had a beautiful message.

Screenplay: Average The film is narrated in past from kewal's wedding night. The screenplay was although was gripping & inspirational but didn't had anything special. The screenplay failed to show the life struggle of kewal as the story was weak. The screenplay had shallow emotional scenes.

Characters: Poor development Kewal Khanna: He was son of a rich & well educated person thus had a legacy to carry forward but didn't wanted to. He was shown a sorrow obsessed lover who didn't got his childhood love and was not able to overcome it. He was shown fateful to his friend rajan.

Nimmi: She was the leading actress of kewal& ranaj's theatre. Rajan fell in love with her and she had a crush on kewal purely on his looks. Her character lacked the depth as it was introduced very late in the story.

Miss Nirmala: She was the college romance of kewal but left him as her marriage was fixed. Her character was not development properly.

Sudha: She was the wife of kewal who got to know about his condition on the wedding night. She was a small character but had a huge impact in the climax.

Rajan: He was the business partner of kewal & a painter. He was deeply in love with nimmi but she choose kewal as he was more good looking, he was extremely angry when got to know about this.

Dialogues: Impactful Dialogues were powerful & enhanced the scenes.

Performances: Good Raj kapoor: He did a fabulous performance. His dialogue delivery, expressions & voice was superb. All his monologues were phenomenal.

Nargis: Her expressions were good.

Shashi Kapoor: Had a small role but did a impactful performance.

Kamini kausal: Her character had some limitations but did her part well & was looking beautiful.

Nigar Sultana: Had a irrelevant role.

Kamal Kapoor: Small role but good performance Premnath: Didn't did anything special.

Direction: Good The director was able to bring the emotions from half backed characters & average screenplay.

Editing: Disappointment

Production value: Good

Music and BGM: Good The BGM was superb & all songs were melodious

Ideology: The writer was confused between a story was kewal's self discovery & love story. The writer wanted to show story of sorrow obsessed lover. The writer gave a beautiful message in climax. But the hard core story was not upto the mark. Some aspects were too forceful & fake especially the climax.

Final verdict: The main story was average with gripping but unimpactful screenplay along with powerful dialogues and superb performance especially of Raj kapoor. The biggest drawback of the film was loose story & half backed characters. Overall a average film which tried to be emotional but failed.

0.25- Story 0.5- Screenplay 1- Dialogues 1- Performance 0.5- Direction 0.5- Production value 1- Music and BGM 0.25- Ideology.

The movie clearly belongs to a different era. Watching a movie 70 years later has its own charm: a different setting, dance moves, and talking styles. Coming to the film itself though, even though the film is just 2 hours long, which was unlike Hindi movies in the previous century, it still felt too long. The story itself was for half the length, and not having a strong message. It feels further long due to the oh-too-many-songs that even run long. Well directed and enacted