Raj Kapoor’s Awaara Legacy Lives On: Why Russia Still Celebrates the Showman of Indian Cinema

When Russian President Vladimir Putin came to Delhi for a two-day visit and the launch of RT India, he spoke about Raj Kapoor on stage that suddenly took everyone back in time and the era of the fiftees.. Smiling, Putin spoke about Raj Kapoor. He said that India has changed a lot. Cities, lives and progress are very different now. But the warmth of friendship between Russia and India is still the same. He also said that he remembered an old song by Russian singer Vladimir Vysotsky in which Raj Kapoor was mentioned. This small sentence brought back memories of a time when one Indian actor became the most loved face of the entire Soviet Union.

In truth, Raj Kapoor’s popularity in Russia during the 1950s was nothing less than a storm. The story begins in a very different world. The world map was different, and cinema was also different. Raj Kapoor was already a big star in India, but no one imagined that in the Soviet Union he would become such a huge superstar that people would welcome him like a king.

Whenever people in Russia heard that Raj Kapoor was coming, the Moscow airport would fill with crowds. The noise of fans would echo everywhere. People ran just to catch one glimpse of him. Once, when Raj Kapoor came out of the airport and sat in a taxi, fans lifted the taxi on their shoulders. This kind of respect is usually given to national heroes, not film stars.

In India, Raj Kapoor was a great artist. But in Russia, he was loved like a God. His son Rishi Kapoor later wrote in his book how the people of Russia worshipped Raj Kapoor, the real showman of Indian cinema.

There is a famous incident in 1985 that shows Raj Kapoor’s global stature. An Indian film critic had gone to the Soviet Union. People there told him, “We have only three heroes – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Raj Kapoor.” This shows that Raj Kapoor was not just an actor. He had become a symbol of Indian Cinema.

Another incident shows how special Raj Kapoor was to the Russian people. In the 1950s, when he first reached Moscow, he did not even have a visa. The Soviet Union was known for very strict rules, yet Raj Kapoor was allowed to pass immigration without any questions. That was the time when his films were just reaching Russian screens and people had already made him their own Hero.

The magic truly began with his 1951 film 'Awaara.' When the film was released in Soviet theatres three years after its Indian release, the reaction was unbelievable. Around 6.4 crore tickets were sold. It became the third most-watched foreign film in Soviet history. Even today, this number sounds impossible.

The film was dubbed in Russian so that people could understand the story, but the songs were kept in the original language. Songs like “Awaara hoon” became part of their daily life in Russian homes. People did not understand the words, but they understood the feelings. Raj Kapoor’s emotions and the music touched an entire generation.

Raj Kapoor’s characters showed the struggles, hard work and hope of an ordinary man. At that time, Russia was coming out of the pain of war. People related their own lives and feelings in his stories. Gradually his films like Shree 420, Sangam, Teesri Kasam, Aah, Anari, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Chori Chori, Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Prem Rog made this love even stronger.

His songs too became unforgettable. Songs like “Awaara hoon”, “Mera joota hai Japani”, “Pyar hua ikraar hua”, “Ramaiya Vastavaiya”, “Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo”, “Dost dost na raha”, “Sajan re jhoot mat bolo”, “Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisar” and many more are still played in some Russian homes even today.

This bond between Raj Kapoor and Russia was not limited to cinema. Many years later, in 2011, when late Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Moscow, the Kremlin’s presidential orchestra welcomed him by playing “Awaara hoon”. This was not a rule or formality. It was an emotional memory that Russia still carried in its heart.

For Russia, Raj Kapoor was never just an Indian actor. He became a cultural bridge between two countries. His popularity spread from Moscow to Georgia. Even today, in some old Russian homes, you can find his photographs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently once said during a meeting with the Kapoor family that Raj Kapoor was India’s first soft power ambassador. At a time when the term soft power did not even exist, Raj Kapoor had already shown the world what it meant.

Rishi Kapoor too enjoyed the same love in Russia that his father had received. He shared that during film festivals in Tashkent and Moscow in 1974, 1976, 1978 and 1980, people would cry on seeing his father. They would hold his hand, kiss it, and look at him as if they had found a lost family member.

Even today, Russia has a loyal audience for Indian cinema. After Raj Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty became very popular there. His film 'Disco Dancer' was a huge hit in the 1980s. Later, in the 1990s and 2000s, Shah Rukh Khan received similar love. Films like 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'  were even re-released in Russia.

The respect that Raj Kapoor created for Indian artists in Russia continues even today. The Kapoor family’s next generations also receive the same love. A few years ago, when Kareena Kapoor was seen at Moscow airport, some elderly women asked her, “You are Raj Kapoor’s granddaughter, right?” and  hugged her. This shows how deep the connection still is.

In 2023, a major Russian TV channel aired a special documentary on Raj Kapoor. A mini film festival in his name was also held in Saint Petersburg. Young people in Russia still remix “Awaara hoon” and shares it on social media.

That is why when President Putin mentioned Raj Kapoor’s name in Delhi, it was not just about one actor. It was about a cultural relationship built by his films, carried by emotions, and kept alive by people for generations.

Today, as India and Russia move forward with new partnerships and agreements, Raj Kapoor’s story reminds us that countries may change, but relationships of the heart never grow old.

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