R. K. Films

R.K. Films
आर.के. फिल्म्स
Industry Films
Founded 1948
Founder Raj Kapoor
Headquarters Chembur, Mumbai, India
Key people
 Owner Rishi Kapoor
Products Movies, Tech Shows,etc
Owner Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor & Rajiv Kapoor

R. K. Films (Hindi: आर.के. फिल्म्स) is a film production company, based in R. K. Studio (Hindi: आर.के. स्टूडियो), a film studio both established by and named after the Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor,[1] headquartered at Chembur, Mumbai. It was founded in 1948, one year after India gained independence. It had a rough start, as its first movie, Aag (1948) did not perform well at the box office. Most of the R.K. Films productions share a common theme of criticising society and depicting love across social divides.

History

R.K. Film and R. K. Studio entrance, Chembur, Mumbai

R.K. Films was formed in 1948, by Raj Kapoor in Chembur, Mumbai.[2]

After the commercial failure of the studio's first venture, Aag (1948), it found success with Barsaat (1949). After this success, the company's logo was drawn to imitate the poster of Barsaat. Successful films such as Awaara (1951), Boot Polish, Jagte Raho and Shri 420 followed. Awaara was particularly successful, not just in India, but all over the world. Many R.K. Films movies featured Kapoor opposite actress Nargis. Kapoor appeared in 15 R.K. films with Nargis and travelled around the world with her to promote the studio's films. The music team of Shankar Jaikishan also worked frequently on R.K. Films productions during this period.[3] Starting with Awaara (1951), Radhu Karmakar shot all of Raj Kapoor's subsequent films for four decades, till his last, Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).[4]

R.K. Films produced many films in the next few decades, including Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973), Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978), Prem Rog (1982) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Raj Kapoor's last film. In the 1970s, Randhir Kapoor joined his father at the studio, and made his acting and directorial debut with Kal Aaj Aur Kal in 1971, which also starred his future wife Babita, father Raj Kapoor and grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor. He went on to direct two more films with the company Dharam Karam (1975) and an incomplete film left by Raj Kapoor, which he completed after his father's death in 1988 and Henna (1991). His brother Shashi Kapoor also appeared in several R.K. films. When Raj Kapoor died in 1988, Randhir took over the studio. His younger brother Rajiv Kapoor directed Prem Granth in 1996 and Rishi Kapoor directed Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999). Herafter, the Kapoors have produced no more films under the R.K. Films banner.[5]

Unlike other Bollywood studios of the time period, R.K. Films was able to preserve all the costumes used in its films.[2]

On 16 September 2017, RK studio has caught fire and collapsed as of now. A massive fire broke out in the studio during the shoot of a television reality show and the studio was engulfed in fire.

The Kapoor family has decided to sell the iconic RK Films and Studios, which was built by legendary actor Raj Kapoor nearly 70 years ago, due to growing losses. Located in Chembur, the studio was in the news September last year after a major fire broke out, leaving the place gutted.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Rishi Kapoor spoke on behalf of the family and said: "The investment in rebuilding the studio would just not have yielded sufficient revenue to keep it going. Even before the fire, for years RK Studio had become a huge white elephant, toting up losses."

He mentioned that the number of bookings had decreased substantially over the years with producers preferring studios near Goregaon and Andheri. Being part of the Eastern suburbs, Chembur was no longer seen as a lucrative shooting space, like it was back in the 40s and 50s. The Kapoors even considered renovating the whole space with cutting edge technology; however, the fire last year made their plans to revive the studios even more unrealistic.

The handful of clients using the studios had started demanding free parking space, air-conditioning and discounts, claims Rishi, which had further added to the losses.

A team employed by the family has initiated the negotiations for the sale of the premises.

A poster for film Barsaat, 1949, which also shows the logo of the R.K. Films

The Logo of R.K.Films is based on the a scene in film Barsaat, as can be seen in the poster for the movie.[6][7] The logo was later simplified. Bollywood star Manoj Kumar has claimed that the logo was designed by Bal Thackeray. [8]

R. K. Studio

The studio occupied nearly two acres of land in the Mumbai suburb of Chembur. The studio's main building was constructed in the early 1950s. Raj Kapoor’s cottage was behind this building where he often organized small intimate meetings and functions. The 25th anniversary of RK Films was celebrated here.[9]

There was a makeshift museum (once Nargis’s dressing room) was a treasure trove which was lost in the fire.[10] It included posters from Barsaat, Awaara, Aag, Mera Naam Joker and Bobby. It also had a large black umbrella that protected the couple from the studio rain in the song "Pyar hua, ikrar hua" in Shree 420, Nargis’s long black dress from Awaara, Vyjanthimala’s saris from Sangam, Dimple Kapadia’s funky frocks from Bobby, Padmini’s saris from Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai and even some of the hats Raj Kapoor wore in his films. These were lost in the fire. Rishi Kapoor regarded that as the greatest loss due to the fire.[11]

The sets constructed at the studio included:[12]

  • Set for "Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi" dream sequence in Raj Kapoor's Awara with the Elephanta inspired image[13]
  • Set for "Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua"[14]

Festivals at R. K. Studio

Festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganapati) [15] and Holi [16] were regularly celebrated by the Kapoor family together with their distinguished guests.

Filmography

Title Year Director Ref.
Aag 1948[17]
Barsaat 1949[18]
Awaara 1951[19]
Aah 1953
Boot Polish 1954[20]
Shree 420 1955[21]
Jagte Raho 1956[22]
Ab Dilli Dur Nahin 1957[23]
Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai 1960[24]
Sangam 1964
Mera Naam Joker 1970
Kal Aaj Aur Kal 1971
Bobby 1973
Dharam Karam 1975[25]
Satyam Shivam Sundaram 1978[26]
Biwi O Biwi 1981[27]
Prem Rog 1982[28]
Ram Teri Ganga Maili 1985[29]
Henna 1991[30]
PremGranth 1996[31]
Aa Ab Laut Chalen 1999[32]

Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
1955 Shree 420[33] National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi Won
1956 Ek Din Ratre[34] National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali Won
1955 Boot Polish Filmfare Award for Best Film Won
1962 Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai Won
1986 Ram Teri Ganga Maili Won
1983 Prem Rog Nominated

Bibliography

  • Ritu Nanda; Raj Kapoor (1991). Raj Kapoor, His Life and His Films. R.K. Films & Studios.
  • Madhu Jain (2009). Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema. Penguin Books Limited. pp. 339–. ISBN 978-81-8475-813-9.

References

  1. ↑ Singh, Kushwant (6 November 1976). "Screen-Struck India". The Emporia Gazette. p. 2. Retrieved 8 December 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Bollywood: A History by Mihir Bose, Tempus, 2006, 0752428357
  3. ↑ Cinema India by Divia Patel, Rutgers University Press, 2002, 0813531756.
  4. ↑ "Memories through a lens". The Hindu. 6 June 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "Randhir Kapoor keen to revive RK Films banner". The Times of India. The Times Group. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  6. ↑ Was the iconic RK Studio Logo Inspired by This Painting? - The Quint, Aug 27, 2018
  7. ↑ The secret behind its logo,Times of India
  8. ↑ "RK Films logo was Saheb’s design: Manoj Kumar", Bharti Dubey, TNN, Nov 19, 2012
  9. ↑ Raj Kapoor celebrates Silver Jubilee of RK Films in Mumbai 25 years, WildFilmsIndia, Jul 20, 2017
  10. ↑ RK Studios: The final curtain, The Mint Aug 31 2018
  11. ↑ Rk Studios में लगी आग को लेकर Rishi ने कहा- बहुत नुकसान हो गया हमारा, NMF News, Sep 18, 2017
  12. ↑ RK Studio Fire: From Awaara sequence to Karz, songs from iconic films shot at the gutted site, FP, Sep,21 2017
  13. ↑ Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi, Shemaroo Filmi Gaane, Feb 16, 2014
  14. ↑ Shree 420 - Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua Hai Pyar Se, Shemaroo, Jul 19, 2010
  15. ↑ RANBIR KAPOOR ने अपनी दादा Raj Kapoor के RK Studio में करी Ganesh पूजा, Mirchi Bollywood, Sep 14, 2016
  16. ↑ How Raj kapoor's Holi Party has reversed downfall of Amitabh Bachchan's career, Bollywood Aajkal, Aug 29, 2017
  17. ↑ "Aag (1948)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "Barsaat (1949)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  19. ↑ "Awara (1951)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  20. ↑ "Boot Polish (1954)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "Shree 420 (1955)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  22. ↑ "Jagte Raho (1956)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  23. ↑ "Ab Dilli Door Nahin (1957)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  24. ↑ "Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1961)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  25. ↑ "Dharam Karam (1975)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  26. ↑ "Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  27. ↑ "Biwi-O-Biwi (1981)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  28. ↑ "Prem Rog (1982)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  29. ↑ "Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  30. ↑ "Henna (1991)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  31. ↑ "Prem Granth (1996)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  32. ↑ "Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999)". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  33. ↑ "3rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  34. ↑ "4th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.