“Both my worlds are here
Raju, Mera Naam Joker
I have nowhere else to go”
A circus clown faces many hardships in his life but he still manages to put a smile on people’s faces. The story is told in flashbacks as he remembers the three women he loved through his lifetime.
What did I like?
Mera Naam Joker cannot be remembered without Raj Kapoor. Kapoor was both the director and actor in the film. During its production, Kapoor was already one of the most beloved actors of Bollywood. Ironically, his most well-known film was also the biggest flop during its time.
Raj Kapoor’s acting had a kind of finesse which only a few actors have been fortunate enough to possess.
The plot of this film was one of its kind. Centred around a circus clown, Raju, the story focuses on the three significant partners of Raju through his lifetime. The film is divided into three chapters, each focusing on a different part of his life- Childhood, Youth and Old Age. The story is capturing, engrossing and so well formed that one cannot help but fall in love with the script.
The songs are a huge part of Bollywood. In Bollywood, every film is a musical film. Mera Naam Joker is no different.
With nine songs of total forty-six minutes, this film has a huge soundtrack. While most of its songs are pretty well-known, the most famous is probably ‘Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan’ (trans. Here I Will Live, Here I Will Die). This song is played numerous times in the film and is also its title track.
What did I not like?
The reason why this film was earlier rejected by critics was because of its time length. This film is four hours long. It was one of the only two Bollywood films to have two intervals.
Other than Gone With The Wind, this is the only four-hour long film I have watched and it became a bit tedious after a while. I like to watch movies in one sitting, but it was almost impossible to do so with this film.
Conclusion?
Does this film require a bit of patience? Yes.
Will it be worth it? Definitely.
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