Jagte Raho

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Jagte Raho
Film poster
Directed by	Amit Mitra Sombhu Mitra
Produced by	Raj Kapoor
Written by	K. A. Abbas Amit Mitra Sombhu Mitra
Starring	Raj Kapoor
Music by	Salil Choudhury
Cinematography	Radhu Karmakar
Editing by	G. G. Mayekar Vasant Sule
Distributed by	R.K. Films Ltd.
Release date(s)	1956
Running time	149 min.
Country	India
Language	Hindi/Bengali
IMDb profile

Jagte Raho (meaning Stay Awake or Stay Alert) is a 1956 film directed by Amit Mitra and Sombhu Mitra, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor. The film centers on the trials of a poor villager (Kapoor) who comes to a city in search of a better life. However, the naive man soon becomes trapped in a web of middle-class greed and corruption. The film also features a cameo by Nargis in the final scene.

1 Plot summary
2 Music
3 Cast
4 Awards
5 External links

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A poor peasant (Kapoor) from the village, who comes to the city in search of work, is looking for some water to quench his thirst. He unwittingly enters an apartment building, whose residents take him for a thief and chase him. He runs from one flat to the other trying to escape his predicament. Along the way, he witnesses many shady undertakings in the flats where he hides. Ironically, these crimes are being committed by the so called "respectable" citizens of the city, who by day, lead a life totally in contrast to their nighttime deeds behind closed doors.

He is shocked by these events, and tries to escape by evading the search parties, that are patrolling the apartment building in search of the elusive thief. He is unfortunately seen, and people chase him to the roof of the building. He puts up a brave resistance, and then descends by the water pipes onto the porch of a flat. He goes in to find a young girl (Daisy Irani). She talks to him and kindles a self belief in the peasant, who determinedly tries to face the adversity waiting outside. But when he ventures out of the flat, he is surprised to find that nobody takes notice of him. He eventually leaves the apartment building, his thirst still unquenched. He hears a beautiful song and searching for its source arrives at the doorstep of a woman (Nargis) drawing water from a well. His thirst is finally assuaged.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Music

Other than the acting, the music is the highlight of the film. Lyrics are by Shailendra and Prem Dhawan and music is by Salil Choudhary. The songs Zindagi Khwaab Hai, Main Koi Jhoot Boleya and Jaago Mohan Pyaare are still remembered by people as classics.