The iconic
R.K Studios(RKS), treasure house of Bollywood’s rare memorabilia, has gone for
sale माटी के मोल. A slice of Bollywood history is lost
forever and RKS’s tryst with cinematic
creativity is now a part of folklore. Magic, movies and romance filled RKS is the memory keeper and mausoleum
of golden era Bollywood films. It was not just Rajkapoor’s workplace but
in reverential terms a “temple” underscoring the spiritual attachment that he
felt towards it. R.K Studios was the kingdom of a great showman where iconic films
were shot, legendary celebrations were held, a testament to the man’s great
vision and love for cinema. Modelled on the great Hollywood studios, R.K
Studios was the biggest and most glamorous production center in India and was once considered the ‘Mecca’ of Bollywood.
Its emblem where Rajkapoor holds
Nargis in one arm and a violin in another was an embodiment of
romanticism and glamour.
The monumental monolith R.K Studios got ignited with
‘Aag’, nurtured by ‘Barsaat’, attained trampish totality with ‘Awara’ and found
fulfillment in ‘Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai’. The ‘Sangam’ of setback and
success in the form of ‘Joker’ and ‘Bobby’ ushered Rajkapoor to the path of
enlightenment of the Trinity ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’. The master auteur went
further to perceive and purify his passion for film making through ‘Prem Rog’
and ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’.
The studio built onerously was truly a baptism of fire
post his directorial debut Aag (1948). Aag backfired and he extinguished the
catastrophic fire with a torrential rage Barsaat (1949). What
a goldmine he struck with an entire new team of artistes/technicians. Like his character in Aag, he dreamt of
building his own film studio where he could give concrete visage to his
creative vision. The music of Barsaat earned enough royalties to
cover its production costs while whopping cinematic collections were used to
purchase 2.2 acres of land in Chembur, a
sleepy, distant suburb of Bombay, for erecting a colossus studio. Awara was on the floors when ‘bhumi poojan’ was performed by the
patriarch Prithviraj Kapoor. Rajkapoor shot the spectacular dream
sequence song ‘Tere Bina Aag Ye
Chandni…’ inside the four walls of a studio that still had no roof.
The true totems of Bollywood in the physical realm
are the film studios, where shoots happen, actors learn to become stars, movies
and magic are created. The studios in those days were a lucrative business as
much glamour and mysticism for the public as its owner. Bollywood's nature of
filmmaking is fugacious and its style and practices are evolving with time. The
studio template of filmmaking, as it existed in earlier days, has completely
become obsolete. The historicity of various events, anecdotes, and happenings
that took place in these studios were neither archived formally nor documented
for posterity.
R.K Films was in effect a Nargis-Raj Kapoor banner,
where she played a much greater role than is widely known and acknowledged:
going into the production details, directing on the sets of Jagte Raho,
recognizing the potential of the actress Nadira, giving generously when the
money was needed and much more. Their off-screen love story was nothing short
of a Yash Chopra’s film script. The visitors to RK Studio saw Rajkapoor and
Nargis behaving like a couple. Another lesser known gesture of his love for Nargis
was the R.K Films’ logo. Rajkapoor’s iconic pose for the Barsaat poster
was inspired by Beethoven’s ‘Violin Sonata9’ about a violinist's passionate
love for a lady piano player. In this powerful image, a raffish Rajkapoor holds
a violin in one hand and a swooning Nargis in the other. Bollywood star Manoj
Kumar, however, claimed that the logo was designed by Shri Bal Thackeray.
The gorgeous locales were built to shoot the songs
and movies. The studio remained the focal point in the making of all the films
of Raj Kapoor from Awara to Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam to Ram Teri
Ganga Maili and even thereafter. The
debacle of Mera Naam Joker made him pauper and his studio, house, wife’s
jewellery everything was mortgaged. Randhir’s directorial debut ‘Kal Aaj Aur Kal’ (1971) too
tanked at the box office. Rajkapoor, the showbiz wunderkind, had to re-assess
and plan a film for the resurrection of the studio. Like a phoenix he rose
and keeping in mind the sensibilities of the emerging audience of the 70s, he produced
‘Bobby’. His conviction paid off and the film went on to become one of the
biggest hits of its time. The rest is history.
Raj Kapoor often used to refer to the cottage as his
sanctum sanctorum. It housed what was dearest to him. The costumes and props
from Raj Kapoor’s films used to be housed in what was once Nargis’s dressing
room. As door opens, memories stir, bits and pieces from Raj Kapoor’s life and
work lie scattered. A stack of Archie comics, a huge black umbrella used in the
unforgettable anthem for lovers Pyar Hua, Iqrar Hua..(Shree 420), Nargis’s
elegant long black dress from Awaara drapes a mannequin. Glass-fronted
cupboards spilling over with clothes and accessories from his films:
Vyjanthimala’s saris from Sangam, Mandakini’s cholis and lehengas from Ram Teri
Ganga Maili, Dimple Kapadia’s funky frocks and infamously pesky bikini from
Bobby, Padmini’s saris from Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai.
A separate cabinet for the many hats, Raj wore in
his films. An octagonal glass vase crammed with gold and silver coins collected
from his foreign tours. Then glimpses of the torn coat & oversize shoes and
his indigenous tramp figure walk by jauntily singing Mera Joota Hai Japani.
Flutes, a mandolin, an accordion, a set of drums and many of the instruments
that made the memorable music of his films also have a place here. But the most
heart-tuggingly poignant prop is the self-referential life-size clown figure of
the joker from Mera Naam Joker. The makeshift museum was a treasure trove till
September 2017. During the shoot of a TV show, a devastating inferno gutted down a major part of the studio. All
the props and knick-knacks used in various RK Films, costume & jewellery of
his leading ladies Nargis/Vyajayanthimala and the grand piano from films Awara/Sangam/Bobby
stowed there were devoured by the fire as well.
The studio witnessed the unfolding of several drama
and hurly burly from screen tests, muhurats,
story sessions, film shooting, music sittings to hosting cultural delegations
from Russia and other nations, celebration of major festivals, jamborees,
parties and revelries right up to grieving and mourning the adieu of the Showman. RKS
served as the venue for the Kapoors’ boisterous parties and several of their
family weddings.
When Raj Kapoor passed away, his sons tried to keep
the RKS banner flying. In 1990 Randhir Kapoor completed Henna, Rajiv Kapoor
wielded the director’s baton for Prem Granth(1996) and Rishi Kapoor made Aa Ab
Laut Chalen(1999), the last film under the RK banner. The
studio dropped out of currency and among the last major films to be shot there
was Imtiaz Ali’s Jab Harry Met Sejal. All
ambitious plans were thwarted when a massive fire broke out in September 2017. They
juggled with the idea of renovating the studio with state-of-the-art
technology. However, in reality, it isn’t always possible for a phoenix to rise
from the ashes.
Many known producers/directors like Dev
Anand, Manoj Kumar, Manmohan Desai etc.
made frequent use of RKS facilities. Some of the classics films made by outside
banners included: Upkar, Roti, Janwar, Brahmachari, Roti Kapda Aur Makan, Shor, Kranti, Chhalia, Aashiq, Amar Akbar
Anthony, Kudrat, Bheegi Raat, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Professor, Jeene Ki Raah,
Prince, Sacha Jhutha, Zanjeer, Talash, Abdullah, Bahu Begum, Bhoot Bangla, Do
Badan, Laila Majnu, Bluff Master, Sharda, etc. The Stage 1 of the studios
separated from Stage 2 by a collapsible wall, was one of the largest shooting
floors in Asia. It housed the revolving stage where Rishi Kapoor danced on the
song “Om Shanti Om” from the film Karz.
Many
celebrities shared their best memories of the studio. Rishi, Randhir and Rajiv
Kapoor’s schooling happened at RK Studios. They all grew up making mandatory
pilgrimage to their father’s temple. Randhir and Rishi got their first screen
appearance in Shree 420. Directors such as JP Dutta, Rahul Rawail and Anil
Sharma had learnt the intricacies of film direction in the corridors of RKS. There
are reams about how Dev Anand would always book a soundstage for every single
film that he produced, to how the canteen’s ginger tea and omelette sandwich
were a "must-savour." Raza
Murd said Raj Sahab’s lifestyle was like that of a Nawab. Actor Kiran Kumar
reminisces ‘I gave the first shot of my first film Do Boond Pani on the studio premises. The food at the studio
was unmatched.’ R.K Studios was second home for Padmini Kolhapure.
As
the iconic studio finally changes hand with Godrej Properties Ltd., cliché as
it may sound, it marks the end of an era. From a venue where epic and unforgettable reel romances were made, it
will become a place of banal domesticity. It is a strange sense of loss indeed,
when places like this, where memories of Bollywood were not only made but also
stowed, become memory themselves. It's a toss-up between unviable nostalgia and
hard-nosed pragmatism.
The film buffs and fans get a feeling that days of roses and romance
getting lost somewhere in the wilderness, only sweet-n-sad memories linger
on. Oh God, the razed and redeveloped structure be at least named ‘Godrej
RKade’ to keep the memories of the iconic studio alive. Sad end to a great
legacy, teaches a lesson, whatever or whoever, however great, mighty, powerful
and influential, must end one day. Nothing is permanent in this fast
changing world and It’s time to remember the famous RK refrain, “The show must
go on.”
Really a marvelous article with full information & with great literary touch. Words fail me to express my applaude & appreciation for Mr. Bhim Raj Garg for this unique creation. My only wish for him is - Allah karey zor-e-qalm aur zyaada..
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr. Balkar Sidhu ji for your appreciation and 'dua'.
ReplyDeleteQuite informative article. Such is the irony of fait that all good things come to an end in a tragic way.
ReplyDeleteBut for the fire incident, the memorabilia would have found a place in the film museum someday.
Garg Sir, you have compiled the information very brilliantly . My compliments.
Many thanks Gagneja Ji for your nice comments. In fact all the memorabilia, props and knick-knacks are lost in fire. Only the original prints of his classic films have been given to National Film Archives Pune. So there are little chances that memorabilia may reappear for the delight of film buffs.
ReplyDeleteBhimraj Garg, a very nice article about RK Studios. You have taken me down the memory lane as if I am actually watching the construction of RK Studios by Raj Kapur, its full bloom with the passage of years and finally its destruction by Raj Kapoor's sons and ending in the frustration of Raj Kapoor fans. If the buyers have any sense of giving the much deserved immortality to RK Studios, they should agree to your suggestion to name the reconstructed building as Godrej Rkade
ReplyDeleteAmarjit Singh Kohli
Thanks Kohli Sahib for your emotive comments and lingering memoirs of R.K Studios. Let us hope the film lovers will get a good nazrana from humane Godrej Properties.
ReplyDelete