With Shree 420, the box-office success of the Kapoor-Nargis-Abbas trio outstripped that of Awara, to become in its own time the greatest commercial success in Indian cinema. Raj Kapoor’s ambitions to make popular films that address daring subjects are even more strongly affirmed here. The title’s 420 refers to a section of the Indian penal code that punishes theft and cheating. Raj (Kapoor), a country lad seeking his fortune in town, shuffles between the virtuous Vidyia (Nargis) and the scandalous Maya (Nadira) without knowing which way to turn. The film pays tribute to Chaplin and Capra, and the more it does so, the more Kapoor’s genius seems to tread its own path. JB
SCREENINGS
LE CINÉMATOGRAPHE
SAT 16 > 10:00 am, in the presence of Vijay Singh, author and director
VEN 22 > 8:00 pm
