Esha Aphale
Awaara (1951)
Awaara sits at the centre of his legacy. A love story shaped by crime, poverty and inherited guilt, it asks uncomfortable questions while dressing them up in melody. The dream sequence alone still feels daring for its time.
Shree 420 (1955)
This film shifts the setting to a rapidly changing Bombay. Kapoor’s wide-eyed outsider drifts between honesty and easy money, learning how quickly ideals fray in the city. The songs carry humour, but the cynicism underneath never quite fades.
Barsaat (1949)
Barsaart helped fix romance in the popular imagination. Rain-soaked meetings, aching songs and emotional excess define the film. Two very different relationships unfold, each pulling at opposing ideas of love and freedom.
Jagte Raho (1956)
In this film, Kapoor steps aside. The film moves through one night in an apartment block, exposing fear, greed and hypocrisy without speeches or sentimentality. It’s quiet, tense and still unsettling.
Mera Naam Joker (1970)
It's impossible to end this list without mentioning this movie. Long and indulgent, it follows a clown through years of unreturned love. Audiences weren’t ready for it at the time. Seen now, its sadness feels raw rather than romanticised