Released in 1970, Raj Kapoor’s ‘Mera Naam Joker’ is a golden chapter in Indian cinematic history. The 3 hours 44 minutes movie showed protagonist Raju’s life in three chapters marked by different relationships, narrating his tale of love, loss, and purpose. Raj Kapoor spent every last penny while making this movie; it was the biggest gamble of his life. Ahead of its time, the movie initially couldn’t do its magic at the Indian box office, but later it found the correct audience and made it rain. Speaking of the audience, ‘Mera Naam Joker’ found a huge fan base in Russia. In 1972, the movie was released in Russia, and to date, it is counted among the most popular Bollywood movies in the country.
Why is ‘Mera Naam Joker’ popular in Russia?
Reportedly, Raj Kapoor sold the rights of ‘Mera Naam Joker’ for Rs 15 lakhs to Russia in 1972. The movie made a staggering business of Rs 17 crore in the country. There are several reasons behind the popularity of ‘Mera Naam Joker’ in Russia.‘Mera Naam Joker’ was released in Russia at a time when other Hollywood dramas were banned. Its timing and placement worked well for the movie, offering the Russian audience the right amount of dramatic refuge they needed back in the day. So the story created a cultural bridge. Moreover, how can anyone not feel for a clown who never forgets to mask his tears with a smile?
A picture of Raj Kapoor from ‘Mera Naam Joker'(Image Credit: Instagram)
Another important factor is that Raj Kapoor was already a household name in Russia. ‘Mera Naam Joker’ did create Raj Kapoor’s fanbase in Russia; in fact, it worked because the actor was already a known name in the country. Thanks to his films ‘Awara’ and ‘Shree 420,’ Raj Kapoor was able to establish his stature in Russia.
Popularity of ‘Mera Naam Joker’ in Russia: Internet chimes in
The internet also echoes the same sentiments, and on several occasions netizens have talked about the popularity of Raj Kapoor’s ‘Mera Naam Joker’ in Russia. Here are a few accounts“Back in the soviet union days, Hollywood and films of other Western countries were banned in the soviet union. Since the soviet people did not have any other means of cheap entertainment, Bollywood films shot into the limelight,” wrote an internet user on Quora, before adding, “Bollywood films that time were non-controversial and non-political and also provided the soviets with cheap means of entertainment. Besides, our movies at that time focused more on partition and the struggle for freedom from colonial rule, which the struggling masses of Russia could relate to. Raj Kapoor, in particular, was very popular in Russia, with the film ‘Mera Naam Joker’ running to packed houses in Russia (‘Mera Naam Joker’ also starred Russian actress ‘Kseniya Ryabinkina ‘). Apart from Raj Kapoor’s classics such as Awara and Shree 420, Sita aur Gita was also a very popular film there.”
Raj Kapoor charmed all with his on screen presence in ‘Mera Naam Joker.'(Image Credit: Instagram)
Almost a decade ago, another user mentioned, “I have family in Russia, and the last time I was there in Moscow, the cab driver was playing ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’. He was about 70 years old.”He continued, “Indian movies were widely shown in Soviet Russia, which had closed itself to Western movies and regulated what its people could see. India was an ally, and a fellow socialist country with active communist parties. Bollywood movies like ‘Mera Naam Joker’ and other Raj Kapoor movies fit the narrative they wanted to show. Also, Kapoor lost no opportunity to promote those movies. In the total absence of Hollywood flicks and other Western movies, the landscape was empty, and Kapoor films flourished. He made a few trips to Russia to promote them.”As time passed, choices changed; preferences evolved; but did it affect the stature of Raj Kapoor or ‘Mera Naam Joker’? The answer is no. The movie to date has a special place in the hearts of the Russian audience.