As India celebrates the legendary Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor@100, Goa isn't lagging far behind.
Known for films with romantic angles, one of Kapoor's hits, Bobby, was hugely popular in Goa, one reason being it is close to Goans' hearts since the lead role, played by actor, Dimple Kapadia, comes from a Goan Catholic household.
To mark Kapoor's 100th birth anniversary, Raghav Kohli of Bobby’s Art Goa, located in Assagao, has organised an exhibition, titled ‘The Greatest Showman’, which features film posters, photographic stills, lobby cards, song synopsis and vinyl records of Kapoor's films.
The memorabilia on display ranges from his earliest films from the 1940s, Aag (1948) and Barsaat (1949), to some of his final films from the 1980s, like Biwi-O-Biwi (1981) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).
Raj Kapoor, commonly referred to as the ‘Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema’, continues to shape and inspire Indian films even today.
In a candid chat with GT Digital, Raghav expressed his desire to celebrate the genius of Raj Kapoor on his birth centenary, through his collection of memorabilia, a collection started by his father which has since been expanded by Raghav.
“Raj Kapoor is revered not only in India, but throughout the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and beyond, for the films he made during the Golden Age of Indian cinema,” explains Raghav.
"He released his first film in 1948, a year after India's independence. His production house, RK Studios, released a series of movies that combined romance with social messages, focused on the fate of the common man in a world of social injustice,” he adds.
Raghav's collection, dating back to the 1940s, serves as a significant visual archive of Indian film history.
Raj Kapoor is revered not only in India, but throughout the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and beyond, for the films he made during the Golden Age of Indian cinema.
Raghav Kohli, Owner of Bobby's Art, Assagao
“We invite people from all walks of life and backgrounds to visit the gallery, and appreciate the innovation and scale in which Raj Kapoor worked, especially because that was the time when there was little access to technology and information compared to what is so readily available today,” shares Raghav.
Raghav's and his father's collections have been gathered over the years from various places -- from a single piece in a store, to discarded ones from scrap dealers, to entire collections from people who no longer have the space for them.
Raghav believes that as art collectors, they always had a passion for collecting handmade art.
“We started collecting because we were drawn to the early hand-painted posters, which are a work of art in themselves,” discloses Raghav.
"At the time, artists would paint murals of a film on street walls in Bombay (now Mumbai), to promote the film. This is now a lost art. Also, posters and cinema memorabilia have significant historical importance,” he adds.
Citing the example of famed Indian film director and screenwriter, Satyajit Ray, he mentions that all the artwork for the promotional material for Ray’s films was designed by the director, himself.
The Kohlis’ extensive collection of posters also reflects the evolution of printing technology over the decades, from the earliest hand-painted ones to photographic ones, to the digital variety of today.
DETAILS
WHAT: 'The Greatest Showman' exhibition
WHERE: Bobby's Art, 1B Serenidade, Next to Vinayak Restaurant, Assagao, North Goa
WHEN IT'S OPEN: Until January 16, 2025
TIMINGS: 12 noon to 8 pm