42 years of Prem Rog: Raj Kapoor's masterpiece on love and tradition

42 years have passed since the release of the Raj Kapoor film Prem Rog. The film featured an ensemble cast including Rishi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure, Shammi Kapoor, Nanda, and Tanuja, among others. Jainendra Jain and Kamna Chandra wrote the 1982 romantic musical drama Prem Rog, which marked Raj Kapoor's return to social topics as a filmmaker. Now is the right time to revisit the film, and you can stream it on Prime Video and ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium).

Theme of Prem Rog

A love story is only one aspect of Prem Rog. Traditional practices, biases, and beliefs fight with modern, progressive, liberal human principles in this epic tale. The story takes place in the early 1950s, following India's independence, when powerful Rajas, Thakurs, and Zamindars controlled the fate of the common people. Long-standing customs continue to heavily influence the culture, despite the passage of time.

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Prem Rog's protagonist is an orphan named Deodhar. His uncle is the village priest who, when he was a child, taught the Thakur's only daughter, Manorama, to read and write. Thakur, a generous soul, paid for his tuition so he could attend university. After eight years apart, he returned to the village and was utterly enchanted by her, succumbing to the everlasting waltz of love. However, he lacked the bravery to declare his love. What hope did a pauper like him have of ever marrying a princess? His relative cautioned him against dreaming about such things. Manorama remained unaware of Deodhar's feelings. She was overjoyed when a wealthy and dashing Thakur chose to marry her.

Confronting tradition and authority

However, fate cruelly dealt her a blow. The wealthy aristocratic family to which she belonged did little to alleviate her hardship; on the contrary, they exacerbated it. Deodhar had already accepted reality, despite feeling down. He could no longer stand by and do nothing as he witnessed Manorama's pain. He set out to lend her a hand and restore her hope in love and life. However, he was oblivious to the fact that this action would force him to confront the fury of the formidable Thakur, who was prepared to use long-standing traditions and practices to his advantage. Is it possible for a young, defenceless man to defeat the powerful Thakurs, even if his cause is righteous? Was love a disease for him, or something related to faith and fairness?

Following Vidhaata (which starred Kolhapure and Shammi Kapoor as 1982's highest-grossing film), Prem Rog (which came out on July 31, 1982) became an enormous financial success. Critics highly praised the film's storytelling, soundtrack, cinematography, direction, and acting, particularly praising Kolhapure's performance.

Legacy of Prem Rog

Raj, Rishi, and Kolhapure's works in Prem Rog have become classics in their own right.

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