R.K Films was the studio that Raj Kapoor

Raj Kapoor

Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...

 owned. It was created in 1948, one year after the independence of India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It had a rough start, as its first movie, Aag

Aag (1948 film)

Aag is a 1948 Bollywood film which is produced, directed by and stars Raj Kapoor. The film marked the debut of Raj Kapoor as producer and director and was the first film produced by his R.K Banner. It was also the first of many films he did with actress Nargis. Premnath, Nigar Sultana, Kamal...

was a flop. Most of the R.K. Films productions share a common theme of criticising society and depicting love across social divides.

History

R.K. Films was formed in 1948 by actor, producer, director and editor Raj Kapoor in Chembur; Mumbai.

After the commercial failure of the studio's first venture, Aag, it found success with Barsaat. After this success, the company's logo was drawn to imitate the poster of Barsaat. Successful films such as Awaara

Awaara

Awaara is a 1951 Hindi film directed and produced by Raj Kapoor who also plays the leading role. His real-life father Prithviraj Kapoor stars as his on-screen father Judge Raghunath. Kapoor's youngest real-life brother Shashi Kapoor plays the younger version of his character...

, Boot Polish

Boot Polish (film)

Boot Polish is a 1954 Hindi film directed by Prakash Arora and produced by Raj Kapoor. It won Best Film at the Filmfare Awards and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...

, Jagte Raho

Jagte Raho

Jagte Raho is a 1956 film directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor. The film centers on the trials of a poor villager who comes to a city in search of a better life. However, the naive man soon becomes trapped in a web of middle-class greed and corruption...

and Shri 420

Shri 420

Shree 420 is a 1955 Bollywood film directed, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor.The film centers on Raj, a poor, but educated orphan who comes to Bombay with dreams of success...

followed. Awaara was particularly successful, not just in India, but all over the world. Many R.K. Films movies featured Kapoor opposite actress Nargis

Nargis

Nargis Dutt , born Fatima Rashid but known by her screen name, Nargis, was an Indian film actress. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema. She made her screen debut as a child in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her acting carer began in 1942 with Tamanna...

. Kapoor appeared in 15 R.K. films with Nargis

Nargis

Nargis Dutt , born Fatima Rashid but known by her screen name, Nargis, was an Indian film actress. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema. She made her screen debut as a child in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her acting carer began in 1942 with Tamanna...

 and travelled around the world with her to promote the studio's films. The music team of Shankar Jaikishan

Shankar Jaikishan

Shankar Jaikishan , also known as S/J, is an Indian music composer duo in the Hindi film industry, working together from 1949–1971....

 also worked frequently on R.K. Films productions during this period.

R.K. Films produced many films in the next few decades, including Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai

Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai

Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai is a 1960 Hindi film directed by Radhu Karmakar...

(1960), Mera Naam Joker

Mera Naam Joker

Mera Naam Joker is a 1970 Hindi film directed by Raj Kapoor. The screenplay was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. This film was the debut of Rishi Kapoor. Mera Naam Joker is a film about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. The film is reportedly inspired by Raj...

(1970), Bobby

Bobby (1973 film)

Bobby is a 1973 Bollywood film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film was widely popular, and widely imitated. It also represented the film début for Dimple Kapadia and the first leading role for Raj Kapoor's son, Rishi Kapoor....

(1973), Satyam Shivam Sundaram

Satyam Shivam Sundaram

Satyam Shivam Sundaram is an Indian film. Satyam means Truth, Shivam can refer to either Lord Shiva or Eternal and Sundaram means Beautiful.-Plot:...

(1978), Prem Rog

Prem Rog

Prem Rog is 1982 romantic Bollywood film directed by Raj Kapoor. Prem Rog literally means "love sick". The film tells the story of a man's love towards a woman who is a widow and of a higher status.-Plot summary:...

(1982) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili

Ram Teri Ganga Maili

Ram Teri Ganga Maili was a hit 1985 Bollywood movie directed by the legend, Raj Kapoor. This movie stars Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor, son of the director-producer Raj Kapoor. It was Raj Kapoor's last film. The songs of the films were of high meolody...

(1985), Raj Kapoor's last film. In the 1970s, Randhir Kapoor

Randhir Kapoor

Randhir Kapoor is a Bollywood actor, producer and director. His nickname is Daboo.-Early life:Randhir Kapoor hails from the legendary Kapoor family. He is the eldest son of Raj Kapoor. He is a fourth generation Kapoor and comes from a distinguished Punjabi Hindu family who have been part of the...

 joined his father at the studio and went on to direct several films. His brother Shashi Kapoor

Shashi Kapoor

Shashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...

 also appeared in several R.K. films. When Raj Kapoor died in 1988 in the middle of shooting Henna (1991), Randhir took over the studio. He directed PremGranth

PremGranth

Prem Granth is a Hindi movie which was released in India on 22 May 1996. Directed by Rajiv Kapoor, the movie stars Rishi Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit and deals with the subject of rape. The movie was a commercial failure....

in 1996, but after the commercial failure of Aa Ab Laut Chalen

Aa Ab Laut Chalen

Aa Ab Laut Chalen , literally Come, Let's Go Back) is a 1999 Bollywood romantic drama musical directed by Rishi Kapoor and written by Sachin Bhowmick. The film premiered in India and the United States on 22 January 1999. The film starred Akshaye Khanna and Aishwarya Rai in lead roles. This film was...

(1999) the Kapoors have made no new R.K. productions.

Unlike other Bollywood studios of the time period, R.K. Films was able to preserve all the costumes used in its films.

Awards

1985 Best Movie - Ram Teri Ganga Maili

1970 Best movie - Mera Naam Joker

1964 Best Movie - Sangam

1960 Best Movie - Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai

1954 Best Movie - Boot Polish