Raj Kapoor’s centenary retrospective took place across India from December 13 to 19, 2024. Organized by R.K. Films, Film Heritage Foundation, NFDC–National Film Archive of India and cinema chains PVR-Inox and Cinépolis, it brought ten restored films back to theatres and renewed attention to the filmmaker’s work—and to the generations of Kapoors who have carried the family’s place in Indian cinema forward.
A centenary retrospective held in December 2024
Raj Kapoor was born on December 14, 1924. To mark 100 years since his birth, R.K. Films, Film Heritage Foundation, NFDC–National Film Archive of India, PVR-Inox and Cinépolis presented “Raj Kapoor 100 – Celebrating the Centenary of the Greatest Showman.” The organizer listed screenings from December 13 to 19, 2024, in 40 cities and 135 cinemas across India; the Mumbai launch was on December 13. Film Heritage Foundation’s event and biography page gives the schedule and details.
![Devdas - 1955 [Bimal Roy / Dilip Kumar] (Classic Hindi Film / Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema DVD)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51tBaKdbWRL._SL160_.jpg)
A separate account records a different figure. In a December 11, 2024 conversation with the Kapoor family, the Prime Minister’s Office said Ranbir Kapoor described the restored films as set to screen in 160 theatres in around 40 cities. That is Ranbir’s reported figure in the PMO account, not the organizer’s published count of 135 cinemas. The PMO account records the meeting and remarks.
The 55th International Film Festival of India also held a centenary tribute session featuring Ranbir Kapoor and filmmaker Rahul Rawail. A November 24, 2024 release from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said ten Raj Kapoor films had been restored by then, with release across India planned for December. The Press Information Bureau’s IFFI account describes the session and the restoration update.
Why Raj Kapoor’s films remain central to the story
Actor, director and producer
Raj Kapoor (1924–1988) worked as a producer, actor and filmmaker. He founded R.K. Films in 1948 and made his directorial debut with Aag that year. His career ranged from early post-independence films to large-scale romantic dramas and later works concerned with love, social convention and artistic ambition.
Among the notable films listed by Film Heritage Foundation are Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Boot Polish (1954), Shree 420 (1955), Jagte Raho (1956), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973), Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978), Prem Rog (1982) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985). The span underscores how the retrospective could serve both as an introduction to his work and as a way to see changes across his career.
The tramp, ordinary people and social change
Kapoor’s screen persona as a tramp gave him a way to tell stories about ordinary people navigating class divisions and a changing society. Film Heritage Foundation links the success of Awaara to audiences in the former Soviet Union. Scroll’s account characterizes his earlier films as engaging with socialist values, social orthodoxy and young love, while describing a later shift toward relationships, sensuality and the artist’s conflict with the world. These are interpretations of his work, rather than a single definitive reading of every film.
At the IFFI tribute, Ranbir Kapoor discussed what he saw in particular films: casteism in Awaara, greed and ambition in Shree 420, and women’s issues and social challenges in Prem Rog and Ram Teri Ganga Maili, according to the government’s event account. In a quotation published by Film Heritage Foundation, Ranbir said: “We are incredibly proud to be members of the Raj Kapoor family. Our generation is standing on the shoulders of a giant whose every film spoke of the time that it was made and was the voice of the common man over decades.”
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Rank #3
![Airport Terminal Pack [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51u7TvlKDzL._SL160_.jpg)
- Factory sealed DVD
Recognition and legacy
Film Heritage Foundation reports that Kapoor received the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1988. At the family meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that “Raj Kapoor had established the soft power of India at a time when the term itself was not coined.” That is Modi’s characterization of Kapoor’s international influence, not a measured audience statistic.
The Kapoor family’s multigenerational presence
The centenary was also a family-history moment. The PMO account identifies Reema Kapoor as Raj Kapoor’s daughter and Ranbir Kapoor as his grandson. Scroll traces contemporary stars Kareena and Ranbir Kapoor to a cinema family whose history begins with Prithviraj Kapoor, and notes that marriages connected the family to the Bachchans, Pataudis and Bhatts.
Rank #4
Those connections help explain why the centenary drew attention beyond film restoration: the Kapoors’ story spans generations of performers and film workers. But the family legacy is best understood alongside the films themselves. Raj Kapoor’s career in acting, directing and production—and the social ideas audiences encountered in his work—remains the reason the retrospective mattered.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Further reading on Raj Kapoor
For readers interested in a fuller biography or the history of Hindi cinema, Scroll names Ritu Nanda’s Raj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor – The Master at Work as books on the filmmaker. Check the edition and current availability before buying.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteQuick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
