December 11th, 2010

Raj Kapoor – Establishing R K Studios

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Back to Legends – Raj Kapoor
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The still from Barsaat (1949) - which was later frozen into the RK emblem

The still from Barsaat (1949) - which was later frozen into the RK emblem

Once Raj Kapoor had tasted success after producing and directing Aag, there was no looking back for him. His imagination soared the heights of fancy and he lived, ate and breathed cinema. He also began realizing the need to create his own cinematic environment around him. These were the birth pangs of Raj Kapoor the studio owner and film magnate. He wanted to make films at his own pace without being subservient to studio shifts and fluctuating finances. For this he required infrastructure, a studio of his own.

For a start, he bought the first RK office at Famous Studios in Mahalaxmi in 1948, the same year in which Aag was released. In 1950, he set up RK Studios at Chembur, and this coincided with the making of Awara. He also set up a production team which remained with him throughout his life. This consisted of cinematographer Radhu Karmarkar, storywriters K.A. Abbas and V.P. Sathe, the nationalist-socialist lyric writer Shailendra, the romantic lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri, the composer duo Shanker­ Jaikishan, and playback singer Mukesh who also became Raj Kapoor’s alter ego.

He called Mukesh his “soul” and his lyricists, composers and music team his “heart”. He claimed that without them he was nothing. And, of course, there was Lata Mangeshkar, who became a permanent part of his musical genius. So inspired was he by her voice and persona, that he wrote Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram with her in mind.

Each film that rolled out of RK Studios was a movement ahead from the last. And his production house, RK Productions, became a revered name, to be pronounced in hushed tones. It was everybody’s dream to be part of an RK film. Just like the inimitable New Theatres of yore, RK Productions commanded the respect of both cinegoers and artistes with its trademark romances, musicals and films based on social themes – Lata Khubchandani

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