The Joker Who Must Smile

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This message brings us face to face with a rather morbid reality. Somewhere at the back of our minds we know it, but often find it difficult to come to terms with it.

In this mood, it reminds me of the Mera Naam Joker song, “Kehta Hai Joker Sara Zamana”, particularly the lines:

अपने पे हँस के जग को हँसाया
बन के तमाशा मेले में आया
धक्के पे धक्का, रेले पे रेला
है भीड़ इतनी पर दिल अकेला
ग़म जब सताये, सीटी बजाना...

In many ways these lines offer an apt response to such a poignant thought. There is no time to brood. One accepts the reality expressed in the song and deals with it positively, almost as if whistling one's way through life. The ‘joker’ has proverbially harboured many sorrows, but conceals them behind a facade of mirth.

The image of the clown who hides sorrow behind laughter has appeared many times in art and cinema, the classic example being Charlie Chaplin. In many ways Raj Kapoor emulated his style, and in Mera Naam Joker this influence found complete expression.

As Raju in the film, he faces many disappointments in matters of the heart throughout his life. Yet, as a clown in a circus, he continues to make the audience laugh, even while carrying his own sorrows.

The film itself was a classic and far ahead of its time. Predictably, it failed at the box office, as audiences perhaps were not ready for it. Raj Kapoor was deeply affected and suffered heavy financial losses. His magnum opus had not been accepted.

For nearly three years he did not make another film, which was quite unusual for him. Eventually he returned with Bobby, which consciously catered more to popular taste. Later films like Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Ram Teri Ganga Maili followed a similar path.

In a way, it marked a different turn in his filmmaking. One sometimes wonders that had Mera Naam Joker been accepted by audiences, we might have seen more films of that depth and quality, though perhaps not always as entertaining.

Raj Kapoor as Raju in Mera Naam Joker, the clown who makes the world laugh while carrying his own private sorrows

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