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Tribute to Indian film legend opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Monday June 27th 2011He has been called the Charlie Chaplin of India, the original Bollywood “Showman” and a cinematic legend. And yet, few in North America are aware of the star power of the late Raj Kapoor.
All that is about to change with a new collaborative tribute to Mr. Kapoor by the Toronto International Film Festival and the Indian International Film Academy awards. More than anything else, it is indicative of the Bollywood fever that is still raging in the city after the three-day IIFA celebrations that ended Saturday night.
“Raj Kapoor and The Golden Age of Indian Cinema” is set to open at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox on Sunday afternoon and will continue to shine a spotlight on Indian cinema. The series includes a number of new 35mm film prints struck especially for the occasion.
“I am very touched by this gesture and would like to thank IIFA and TIFF for honouring the legacy of our father, who lived for his work and who lives on through his work,” said Mr. Kapoor’s son, Randhir Kapoor, when the tribute was first announced in April. “He is a true legend, and I believe that this retrospective is a great way to honour his memory.”
“We’re honoured to be presenting a tribute to the legacy of the legendary Raj Kapoor and the extraordinary moment in cinema that he was instrumental in creating,” Noah Cowan, project curator and artistic director at the Lightbox, which is home to the Toronto International Film Festival. “His influence as an actor and director continues to this day, and this tribute and retrospective will increase awareness in North America of his importance within global film culture.”
One of the giants of Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor is synonymous with the rise of Bollywood’s “masala” or predictable formula for scripts and execution. His films often celebrated the story of the underdog poor man who was trying to make sense of the rapid changes in India post-independence from the British Raj. The highly influential filmmaker is revered throughout India with a career that spanned nearly five decades. He was only 24 when he opened his own studio in 1948 and became one of the youngest directors at the time in India. Mr. Kapoor’s films were wildly popular in the former Soviet Union, which was amenable to screening films from socialist India and banned Hollywood films. He was also nominated for the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Three generations of the Kapoor family have gone on to make their mark on Indian cinema. The gala tribute will be attended by Krishna Kapoor, Raj’s widow, and his three sons Randhir, Rajiv and Rishi, along with his wife, actress Neetu Singh. Other Bollywood celebrities in town for the IIFA weekend will also be present.
The retrospective, running from July 1 to August 7, will feature Raj Kapoor classics including Barsaat, Awaara, and Mera Naam Joker. Several pieces of memorabilia from Raj Kapoor films including costumes, release-era programme books and props used during the films will be displayed in the TIFF Bell Lightbox atrium.
Source: The Globe and Mail
Front Page, Industry News
Tribute to Indian film legend opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Monday June 27th 2011He has been called the Charlie Chaplin of India, the original Bollywood “Showman” and a cinematic legend. And yet, few in North America are aware of the star power of the late Raj Kapoor.
All that is about to change with a new collaborative tribute to Mr. Kapoor by the Toronto International Film Festival and the Indian International Film Academy awards. More than anything else, it is indicative of the Bollywood fever that is still raging in the city after the three-day IIFA celebrations that ended Saturday night.
“Raj Kapoor and The Golden Age of Indian Cinema” is set to open at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox on Sunday afternoon and will continue to shine a spotlight on Indian cinema. The series includes a number of new 35mm film prints struck especially for the occasion.
“I am very touched by this gesture and would like to thank IIFA and TIFF for honouring the legacy of our father, who lived for his work and who lives on through his work,” said Mr. Kapoor’s son, Randhir Kapoor, when the tribute was first announced in April. “He is a true legend, and I believe that this retrospective is a great way to honour his memory.”
“We’re honoured to be presenting a tribute to the legacy of the legendary Raj Kapoor and the extraordinary moment in cinema that he was instrumental in creating,” Noah Cowan, project curator and artistic director at the Lightbox, which is home to the Toronto International Film Festival. “His influence as an actor and director continues to this day, and this tribute and retrospective will increase awareness in North America of his importance within global film culture.”
One of the giants of Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor is synonymous with the rise of Bollywood’s “masala” or predictable formula for scripts and execution. His films often celebrated the story of the underdog poor man who was trying to make sense of the rapid changes in India post-independence from the British Raj. The highly influential filmmaker is revered throughout India with a career that spanned nearly five decades. He was only 24 when he opened his own studio in 1948 and became one of the youngest directors at the time in India. Mr. Kapoor’s films were wildly popular in the former Soviet Union, which was amenable to screening films from socialist India and banned Hollywood films. He was also nominated for the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Three generations of the Kapoor family have gone on to make their mark on Indian cinema. The gala tribute will be attended by Krishna Kapoor, Raj’s widow, and his three sons Randhir, Rajiv and Rishi, along with his wife, actress Neetu Singh. Other Bollywood celebrities in town for the IIFA weekend will also be present.
The retrospective, running from July 1 to August 7, will feature Raj Kapoor classics including Barsaat, Awaara, and Mera Naam Joker. Several pieces of memorabilia from Raj Kapoor films including costumes, release-era programme books and props used during the films will be displayed in the TIFF Bell Lightbox atrium.
Source: The Globe and Mail
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Front Page, Industry News
Tribute to Indian film legend opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Monday June 27th 2011He has been called the Charlie Chaplin of India, the original Bollywood “Showman” and a cinematic legend. And yet, few in North America are aware of the star power of the late Raj Kapoor.
All that is about to change with a new collaborative tribute to Mr. Kapoor by the Toronto International Film Festival and the Indian International Film Academy awards. More than anything else, it is indicative of the Bollywood fever that is still raging in the city after the three-day IIFA celebrations that ended Saturday night.
“Raj Kapoor and The Golden Age of Indian Cinema” is set to open at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox on Sunday afternoon and will continue to shine a spotlight on Indian cinema. The series includes a number of new 35mm film prints struck especially for the occasion.
“I am very touched by this gesture and would like to thank IIFA and TIFF for honouring the legacy of our father, who lived for his work and who lives on through his work,” said Mr. Kapoor’s son, Randhir Kapoor, when the tribute was first announced in April. “He is a true legend, and I believe that this retrospective is a great way to honour his memory.”
“We’re honoured to be presenting a tribute to the legacy of the legendary Raj Kapoor and the extraordinary moment in cinema that he was instrumental in creating,” Noah Cowan, project curator and artistic director at the Lightbox, which is home to the Toronto International Film Festival. “His influence as an actor and director continues to this day, and this tribute and retrospective will increase awareness in North America of his importance within global film culture.”
One of the giants of Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor is synonymous with the rise of Bollywood’s “masala” or predictable formula for scripts and execution. His films often celebrated the story of the underdog poor man who was trying to make sense of the rapid changes in India post-independence from the British Raj. The highly influential filmmaker is revered throughout India with a career that spanned nearly five decades. He was only 24 when he opened his own studio in 1948 and became one of the youngest directors at the time in India. Mr. Kapoor’s films were wildly popular in the former Soviet Union, which was amenable to screening films from socialist India and banned Hollywood films. He was also nominated for the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Three generations of the Kapoor family have gone on to make their mark on Indian cinema. The gala tribute will be attended by Krishna Kapoor, Raj’s widow, and his three sons Randhir, Rajiv and Rishi, along with his wife, actress Neetu Singh. Other Bollywood celebrities in town for the IIFA weekend will also be present.
The retrospective, running from July 1 to August 7, will feature Raj Kapoor classics including Barsaat, Awaara, and Mera Naam Joker. Several pieces of memorabilia from Raj Kapoor films including costumes, release-era programme books and props used during the films will be displayed in the TIFF Bell Lightbox atrium.
Source: The Globe and Mail
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