Awara

Awards

• No award information available.

Trivia

Album

• K.A. Abbas had initially approached filmmaker Mehboob Khan with his script for this film. Abbas had watched Raj Kapoor in "Andaz" (1949) and wanted to cast him in the film's lead role. However, Mehboob wanted to cast Dilip Kumar instead. Raj Kapoor, who was looking for a script for his next film, heard about this and approached Abbas. Impressed by the aspiring filmmaker's humility and convinced that he was ideal for the film's titular role, Abbas gave his script to Raj Kapoor to direct.[MR68]
• This was perhaps the only film featuring Dewan Bashesharnath Kapoor, Prithviraj Kapoor's father. He had a cameo role in the film and was credited as "D. Bashesharnath (Grand Pa)". Other than Dewan Bashesharnath Kapoor, Prithviraj Kapoor, and brothers Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor (credited as Shashiraj) representing three generations of the Kapoor family, the film featured another Kapoor from the fourth generation - Randhir. Raj Kapoor's son made an uncredited cameo appearance in the film as the boy under the streetlight in the opening credits. This was probably the only time four generations of the Kapoor family appeared in a film. The film "Kal Aaj Aur Kal" (1971) featured three generations of the Kapoor family - Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor.[1]
• The character Raj Kapoor played in this film was modelled on the character of The Tramp developed by actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin. The Tramp was evoked in the film not just through Kapoor's costume, personality and mannerisms but also by shooting certain sequences at a lower frame rate, mimicking the films of Chaplin's era. Kapoor played a character inspired by The Tramp again in "Shree 420" (1955). Chaplin played The Tramp in many films including the eponymously titled "The Tramp" (1915), "The Kid" (1921), and "City Lights" (1931).[2]
• This became one of the highest-grossing films of its time because of its popularity overseas. Its socialist themes especially resonated with the audiences in Russia and China. The film's title song was significant enough in the Russian pop culture of the time to be referenced in Alexander Solzhenitsyn's book "Cancer Ward".[3]
• The scene in the film's climax in which Prithviraj Kapoor's character visits Leela Chitnis's character in the hospital featured a background score theme which Shankar - Jaikishan later developed into the Hindi film song "O Basanti Pavan Paagal" ("Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai", 1960). This theme was also used in another scene in the climax when Prithviraj Kapoor's and Raj Kapoor's characters meet in the jail.[4]
• The sequence in the film in which Shashi Kapoor's character works as a shoeshiner features as the background theme a short song sung by a children's chorus. The lyrics and tune of this song were later reused in the mukhda of the Hindi film song "Thahar Zara O Jaane Wale" ("Boot Polish", 1953).[5]

Song

• Naiya Teri Majhdhar Hoshiyar - Actor Prem Nath made an uncredited cameo appearance in this song as a boatman.
• Julam Sahe Bhaari Janak Dulari (Pativrata Sita Maai Ko Tune Diya Banwaas) - While the song was essentially a Mohammed Rafi solo, it featured alaaps sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
• Awaara Hoon - The genesis of this song's lyrics happened during the narration of the film's script by writer K.A. Abbas. Raj Kapoor had taken lyricist Shailendra along with him for the narration. Abbas ignored the relative newcomer Shailendra for the two-plus hours of narration. After the narration was over, Raj Kapoor asked Shailendra "Kuch samajh mein aaya, Kaviraj?". Pat came Shailendra's reply "Gardish mein tha par aasmaan ka taara tha. Awara tha.". K.A. Abbas and Raj Kapoor were awe-struck by this response and incorporated it into the film's title song.[6]
• Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi - The tune of the interludes in this song was taken from the Arabic song "Ala Baladi El Mahboub" sung by the famous Egyptian singer, Umm Kulthum.[7]
• Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi - The elaborate set built for this song was the first ever set built in RK Studios and took more than three months to complete. The song is also one of the earliest "dream sequence" songs in Hindi films. Another first, according to music directors Shankar - Jaikishan, was the use of a 100-piece orchestra.[MR10]
• Ek Bewafa Se Pyar Kiya (Haay Re Humne Yeh Kya Kiya) - Dattaram Wadkar got a chance to play the dholak for the first time in Hindi films when his guru, who was supposed to play for this song, could not make it to the studio for the recording. He went on to become an assistant to Shankar - Jaikishan and, eventually, an independent music director.[8]
• Ek Bewafa Se Pyar Kiya (Haay Re Humne Yeh Kya Kiya) - The accordionist in this song, Goody Seervai, made a brief appearance onscreen for it.[9]
• Ek Bewafa Se Pyar Kiya (Haay Re Humne Yeh Kya Kiya) - Debutant music directors Rajan - Nagendra used the tune of this song for their Kannada film song "Thana Thalli Oka" ("Sowbhagya Lakshami", 1952).[10]
• Hum Tujhse Mohabbat Karke Sanam Hanste Bhi Rahe Rote Bhi Rahe - The lyrics of the second antara of this song contained references to the first three R.K. Films productions in chronological order - "Aag" (1948), "Barsaat" (1949), and this film. The lyrics went - "Yeh dil jo jala ek aag lagi / Aansoo jo bahe barsaat hui / Baadal ki tarah awara the hum / Rote bhi rahe hanste bhi rahe".[11][12]
• Hum Tujhse Mohabbat Karke Sanam Hanste Bhi Rahe Rote Bhi Rahe - A cover version of this song was recorded for the film "Panchlait" (2017).[13]

1. ^ Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971)
2. ^ Shree 420 (1955)
3. ^ Awara, Cancer Ward
4. ^ O Basanti Pavan Paagal (Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai, 1960)
5. ^ Thahar Zara O Jaane Wale (Boot Polish, 1953)
6. ^ People’s poet
7. ^ Ala Baladi El Mahboub - Umm Kulthum
8. ^ Masti Bhara Hai Sama
9. ^ How the accordion played a key role during the golden era of Hindi film music
10. ^ Thana Thalli Oka (Sowbhagya Lakshami, 1952)
11. ^ Aag (1948)
12. ^ Barsaat (1949)
13. ^ Hum Tujhse Mohabbat Kar Ke (Panchlait, 2017)