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Pre-Bollywood Indian cinema classic, over 60 years old (1951), this movie represents a milestone in cinema history, but most of all it is beautiful, inspiring, intelligent, full of exceptional music. Raj Kapoor, director and hero of the movie, declaredly was inspired by Charlie Chaplin's Tramp character, but at the same time he built what was to be the Raj/Raju iconic role of many Indian movies to come, the young, naïve but well intentioned poor guy that with his enthusiasm sets out to conquer the world.
A chaste woman is falsely accused of infidelity by her husband Judge Raghunat after being kidnapped by a criminal that wants revenge for a previous false accusation of rape by her husband. Banished from her home she gives birth to her son Raju on the streets and raises him in a slum, while his father refuses to recognize him due to the suspect he is a bastard. Raj finds a father figure in Jagga, his mother's abductor, who he does not however recognize as such. Raju strikes up a childhood friendship with Rita, a wealthy little girl. However, due to economical differences and Raj's internment in prison the two are separated only to meet again when they grow up and Raj now a thief steals Rita's purse. They start an intense love story, in which Raj tries hard to live up to Rita's expectations, but Judge Raghunat who has in the mean time become Rita's mentor discloses him as a thief. Raj discovers the Judge is his father and Jagga his mother abductor. First he kills Jagga and then he tries to kill his father but he does not succeed and is sent to jail. In court Rita as his lawyer defends him calling the Judge as a witness and bringing him to recognize Raj as his son. Raj is sentenced to three years and Rita promises she will wait for him.
This impressive and complicate plot actually has the aim to deny a well rooted Indian opinion that the predisposition toward crime depends on one's caste and family upbringing. The Nature versus Nurture debate is present in other films by Raj Kapoor, who resolves it with the implication of society that ignores the necessities of the poor and thus turns them into criminals.
The movie is a family enterprise, like many other Indian movies, in that the Judge is played by Kapoor's father, the child Raj by his younger brother, Rita by Nargis his lover at that time.
Anwaara became world famous. It rapidly conquered audiences in all the Communist Countries, particularly interested in Indian movies that did not show an American influence. It is stated that it was Mao's favorite and its title song "Awaara hoon" was sung in Hindi and in many other languages as well and its music sung mostly by Mukesh is still played today.
Independently from it aesthetic and entertainment features, this movie is interesting because it bridges many cultural worlds. It is definitely influenced by Italian Neorealism, French Surrealism and the Charlie Chaplin figure, at a psychological level it lies between the Oedypus myth with the son trying to kill his father, the struggle between evil (bad part of Raj character) and good (represented by his virtue but also by Rita, the feminine figure of a woman-angel), and also the Rama myth with the god abandoning his pregnant wife. Stylistically the movie contains one of the first dream sequences typical of Indian movies, that is also halfway between East and West, with Grecian columns and a well filled pantheon of gods. The lavish sets are still impressive today, as also the dresses and the dance sequences. Some scenes remain in cinema history such as that when the two lovers frolic on a sail boat and kiss, only through their reflection in the water.
Even if a classical, this movie is still enjoyable today and is really a "must" for all cinema lovers.
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