Clowns Do Cry - My Thoughts on Mera Naam Joker (1971)

I once asked my Dad – these clowns always laugh but do they also cry? My father looked at me and said: “Watch this movie; you will know” The movie he pointed out to me was Mera Naam Joker – a classic. I asked him what was it all about… He would not answer – he only said, a circus!

The mention of a Circus brought back a lot of memories – most of them happy except one.

I had first visited the Circus when I was 6 years old. That was a time when Circuses drew a lot of crowds – Apollo Circus, Gemini Circus, Royal Circus were household names and people used to plan for a day at the circus.

For a young child, it was like magic – the fearful lions with their stern ringmaster, the beautiful ballerinas, the benevolent elephants, the adorable bears, the trained birds – everything was fascinating but what impressed me most and took away my attention were a pair of clowns… they were so clumsy, they kept on falling, they kept on trudging along, getting kicks from one and all and making a complete fool of themselves and all the time, the crowd kept roaring with laughter at the miserable and stupid clowns. It all looked so funny and all eyes were riveted on these strange little painted faces in their stupid ill-fitting costumes.

But, there was something different about them that attracted me… maybe it was the ability to make others laugh; the ability to brush aside every pain, every ridicule and yet again be back on their feet for another fling of the dice; the childish innocence… I thought a lot about it and then slowly realization dawned on me that it was none of these…. It was something more than these… something very different.

It was actually the eyes… Eyes that were deep and still and could watch me closely…. And what a young boy of 6 saw in them could not be seen ever again…. That fleeting glance of the clown towards the audience showed much more than what a young boy has bargained to see…. Eyes that could cut me down to the bone, sear me with their burning flame and still were as calm as the waves of the silent summer sea hiding the turbulence beneath the surface.

It appeared to me as if they were staring back at me with a feeling of hurt and indignation, as if they were asking me – who was I to laugh at them? What right did I have to laugh at their misfortunes? It was as if they were smiling at my childish foolishness …. I never forgot that gaze, that stare that spoke volumes although the face remained silent and expressionless…. That face smeared with colours, with a smile painted on it’s lips and deep eyes that hid a lot of tears…

No…. I just could never forgot that!

As per the definition of my self-appointed gurus, Comedy maybe defined as the art of making people laugh by consciously hurting the self. Since hurting the self for the sake of others has never been a profitable or admirable venture or for that matter even a respectable one, very few people have ever ventured in this field that should have been on humanitarian grounds actually the most sought after vocation. Quite an irony but then life itself is a case study in irony!

It’s indeed a matter of great irony that the person responsible for bringing smiles on many a tearful face is derided and depreciatingly called “Clown or “Joker” all over the world. That one who suffers to make the other happy, is made a spectacle fit for a few laughs and a lot of ridicule. My review today is a silent salute to the joker, the only person capable of being called human.

Mera Naam Joker is one of the best films ever made on the life of the Man behind the Mask. On a personal level, it may appear as if the story skirts the issue of a clown’s life and goes off on a tangent dissecting his personal love life but if you see it closely, you will find in every frame the hurt and frustration every clown hides behind his façade of smiles. Although a film of lengthy proportions, the film scores in its searing and faithful rendition of the trials and renditions of the life of a Joker.

Raj Kapoor as Raju, the clown turns in one of his best performances in a career spanning 40 years. As the man whose love is unconditional, faithful and innocent but who faces nothing in his love affairs but loss and separation, this man is performance personified. No other actor in the history of Indian Cinema has ever exemplified innocence and simplicity in Indian Cinema in a way more refined than the great showman.

The deep eyes that express emotions by the second will always be missed in Hindi Cinema. Look at those eyes in the scene when they are looking at the loss of love for the umpteenth time and you will fall in love with them. Look at that voice when he’s trying to explain his point to his dead mom on the stage and you will skip a beat. Look at that face when it’s painted with the garrulous colours of happiness but is crying out for it’s dead mom, while the world thinks it’s a comic situation and laughs at him and you will find your cheeks moist.

Those are the hallmark of a great actor who could have been greater had he not shown his inclination to behind the screens; we have lost much of an actor due to that decision but as a result gained a lot as a director.

Each and every scene in this movie bears the stamp of his genius but the scene that actually makes you sit up and notice, is the scene where he is forced to give a live comic performance while his mother lies dead in the background. That is some acting by an actor, who was dismissed by his critics, as completely Chaplinesque throughout his career, despite coming up trumps, times and again and again. Look at those eyes; can one look more innocent?

Rishi Kapoor as the younger Raju is a revelation. Although Rishi went on to perform in many different films and in much varied roles, the promise he showed with this early film was sadly never realized except fleetingly in a few movies. I still remember the stern rebuke with which he addresses the teacher he loves “Main Bachcha Nahin Hoon” What a dialogue and how effectively and well-delivered. Much is the loss of Hindi Cinema that an actor of his calibre was wasted thanks to the formula fare of the late 70s and 80s.

The loss of one’s first love is not so easy to portray for it has the soft contours of a heart seared for the first time but it has been so deftly portrayed that your heart literally goes out to him in the scene when he learns of the futility of his crush on his teacher. Also, memorable is the scene where he waves his teacher goodbye. More than the song and the way he sings it (you can feel him trying to tell himself that it’s all over), the undercurrent of the making of a clown is evident in this scene as the man has not only lost his love but also his seat in the school and henceforth he will remain an entity used by society for their pleasure but shunned socially. Watch the scene when he is the Best man to the marriage of his sweetheart and specially when he gets the clown back from the teacher as she prepares to leave. It’s heart-wrenching and heart-breaking!

Rishi Kapoor – we really miss that child you played! Could we please have an encore?

Simi Garewal as young Raju’s love interest, his teacher Mary is so sweet that you almost can fall in love with her. When I saw this movie for the first time, I imagined myself in Raju’s place and thought why not – even I would have fallen in love with a woman so sweet. I like her performance particularly in the scene where she comes to know about Raju’s infatuation with her and the scene where she defends Raju against the school management and her dialogue is excellent – “He will not be happy” alluding to what Jesus Christ must feel on the victimization of Raju for being a poor guy.

Manoj Kumar as her fiancé, David is outstanding. In fact, in a cameo role, as the philosophical and worldly-wise David, Manoj gives one of the best performances of his career. The scene where he discusses philosophy with Raju is one of his best moments in his entire film career and his dialogue so deep but so well-delivered : “Jaante Ho Duniya Ka Sabse Bada Joker Kaun Hai? Woh Uparwaala”…. Manoj, only you could have said that so softly and so simply. Why did you not do that more often?

Ksiena Rabiankina, the Russian ballerina who plays his adult love interest, Mariana performs her role with an unmatched intensity. Hers was a difficult role wherein the actress faced the challenge of endearing the connoisseur with her emotions, since language was a difficult barrier to surmount and it’s to the credit of the actress that she manages to rise to the occasion. The scene where she decides to break off with Raju can be considered to be one of the highlights of the movie. I am sure it will not be easy for any other actress to bring her own self to that level of performance in an alien language wherein she has to refuse the overtures of a man she loves since she knows it won’t work out. Look for her scene with Achala Sachdeva and you will understand why this actress is among my favourites although the only film that I ever saw her perform was Mera Naam Joker only. Just to add and appreciate one more member from the troupe whose performance I loved - Eduard Sjereda as a member and clown of the Russian troupe is also impressive.

Achala Sachdeva as Raju’s mother, who never wanted Raju to become a joker is extraordinary. The ignorance of an illiterate woman who burns the midnight oil for the benefit of her son but finally finds everything crashing all around her could have been more melodramatic but Achala performs! The sudden death scene as portrayed by her is fabulous and better than many such other performances over the years. It requires a lot of talent to show sudden death but Achala does it and does it well

Dharmendra is surprisingly very calm as the circus-owner. I never thought Dharmendra could turn in so mature and restrained a performance but like always, the most handsome star of Indian Cinema proved me wrong. I vividly remember his exchange with Dara Singh wherein he says “Aaj Raju Ko Mat Roko; Aaj Ussey Duniya Ko Saabit Karna Hai Ki Duniya Ka Sabse Bada Joker Wahi Hai” Dara Singh as the ringmaster, although in a supporting role also puts in a commendable performance.

Padmini as the self-centric and opportunistic Mina who forsakes Raju after getting fame and money gives the best performance of her life. It’s remarkable that in an era when there was a clear divide between the ‘nice’ girls and the ‘not-so-nice’ girls, Padmini still took up the gauntlet of performing a role that had more shades of black than white and delivered. The actress rocks big time. Right from the beginning, when she is disguised as a boy – Minoo Master to the time when she professes her love to the first time she shows her selfish nature to the way she changes for her own benefit, Padmini stands tall. Every time I see this movie, I end up getting repulsed by her character but then I also understand that there was nothing wrong in what she did… After all, a Joker is just for pleasure; not for life!

Rajendra Kumar as the money-minded businessman also impresses in a cameo role. It was a very different kind of role for the reigning Jubilee King and not one that would be appreciated by the crowd but Rajendra Kumar does a great job of it. I was never a great fan of his acting – often his mannerisms and over the top acting would make me go wild but for once his performance was lyrical and restrained.

There is one more actor I need to appreciate - no, it's not a human being - it's a dog! You may laugh for all your time but I really liked that dog, Moti. He was fantastic

Music by Shankar-Jaikishen is mind-blowing. I would rate Mera Naam Joker as one of the best scores of Shankar Jaikishen and definitely among the top 10 scores of all times.

Whether it’s the inimitable Mohammed Rafi with his one liner song “Heer” (the maestro leaves his mark with even one word) or Lata Mangeshkar with her “Mohe Ang Lag Jaa, Balma” (incidentally one of her most seductive songs ever) or the Asha-Mukesh Duet “Daag Na Lag Jaaye” (one of the best Asha-Mukesh duets) or the Mukesh song “Kehta Hai Joker” or Sharda singing the children song “Teetar Ke Do Aage Teetar”, every song has it’s own flavour; it’s special taste that cannot be taken away.

Add to this Manna De in his elements singing, “Ae Bhai Zara Dekhke Chalo” and you have an album worth dying for. Manna De was one of the most gifted singers but one of the most underrated one too. But time and again, Shankar Jaikishen gave him songs that not only challenged his virtuosity but also delighted many of his sincere fans like me for the depth and range of the song. This song is definitely one of his best rendered ever and he was awarded the Filmfare Award for his excellent rendition of this song.

But the icing of the cake are the two Mukesh classics, “Jaane Kahan Gaye Woh Din” and “Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan”, both of them two of the best songs ever sung in tinsel world. Mukesh was considered to be the voice of Raj Kapoor…. Nowhere is this more felt than the score of this film… Mukesh it was said had the ability to transmute pain into the fabric of a song so deeply that one could not feel but feel the pain. Listen to these songs when you are lonely and you will find why it was said so

Raj Kapoor was always a great director. No film showcases it more than this film, which conveys meanings on two levels in each and every frame. Each and every scene is a treat in itself and every performance is a delight. So complete is the involvement of Raj with the movie that it becomes difficult to separate the actor from the director and the director from the producer. It’s said that Mera Naam Joker was a allegory – a story from Raj’s own life and the clown was a synonym for the actor that Raj had been all his life. Even if it was so, it’s never easy to show one in his true colours. It’s to the great talent of Raj that he could do it.

And who can forget that symbolic doll in the shape of a Clown that the Clown keeps handing to each of his love interests hoping someone will accept it but which keeps coming back to him every time he falls in love. I have only tears and pain to appreciate the director for his great use of props - I wish I could have worked with you even as an extra! I really wish - only one who has truely loved and lost in love can understand the depth of that symbolism.

This review would be incomplete without mentioning one of the greatest writers of Hindi movies – Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. As the writer of this movie, the greatest writer of the 50s and 60s shows his commendable prowess at story writing with this epic saga of love and loss.

Never has any clown been shown in a more poignant light and never again will any director be able to show the same level of sensitivity as shown by Raj Kapoor is this movie. A labour of love, all the way

Ever seen a clown crying… … … it’s indeed heartbreaking but all the same, yes, Clowns do Cry.