Remember the song Ghar aaya mera pardesi….. from Raj Kapoor‘s cult classic film Awaara (1951). Raj Kapoor’s ‘dream sequence’ in Awaara is a milestone in Indian cinema. It’s iconic as the first-ever dream sequence, featuring magnificient, unprecedented sets, and brilliantly portraying the protagonist’s mental conflict between good and evil.
Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi’s Shooting Details
Raj Kapoor masterfully used the song as a cinematic metaphor. The protagonist, Raj(Raj Kapoor), a convict, transforms after meeting Rita (Nargis). However, Jagga (K.N. Singh) forces him back to commit crime. Raj Kapoor depicted Raj’s mental struggle in three stages: Earth, Hell, and Heaven. The dream sequence progresses: ‘Tere Bina Aag Ye Chandni’ (Earth), then ‘Mujhko Chahiye Bahar’ (Hell), ending with ‘Ghar Aya Mera Pardesi’ (Heaven).
Mujhko Chahiye Bahar’s Shooting Details
Raj Kapoor built RK Studio after after Barsaat and Awaara’s success; Awaara was its first film. M.R. Achredkar designed the sets. For the first Indian dream sequence, Raj Kapoor hired a chemist to create fog with dry ice. French dancer Madame Simkie, Uday Shankar’s disciple, handled the set art design and choreography.
After Ghar Aya Mera Pardesi … dream sequence became popular in Hindi films, other film directors started creating such dream sequences like the hit song Hum kaale hain toh kya hua dilwaale hain ….(Gumnaam, 1967) or Tere khayaalon mein hum…. (Geet Gaaya Pattharon Ne, 1964) or Tu chhupi hai kahaan (Navrang, 1959) etc.
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