Prem Rog was Raj Kapoor’s return to films with a social message much like his earlier productions such as Awaara and Shree 420. This time around, he chose to tackle society’s stigmatisation of women whose husbands had died. Unfortunately, the 1982 film fails to do justice to it.
The plot revolves around the life of Manorama (Padmini Kolhapure), a teenager from a wealthy family whose husband dies days after the wedding. What follows is one tragic incident after another. She is raped by her brother-in-law, isolated by the family, and denied dignity and autonomy.
She is allowed to eat only one meal a day. Her food is cooked separately. She cannot laugh. She has to sleep in a secluded room. This life that she has to lead on her return to her maternal home serves to underscore the prejudice against women who have lost their husbands.
Unfortunately in Prem Rog, Manorama does not fight it. Instead, it’s left to the hero, Raj Kapoor’s son, Rishi Kapoor, who has to save the day. He plays Devdhar, whose unspoken love for his childhood friend Manorama forms the crux of the plot.
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Though Raj Kapoor’s Prem Rog had its heart in the right place, it misses the mark when it comes to fighting for widow remarriage. Manorama is dependent till the very end and has to be rescued.
‘Understated’ pair
Kolhapure was just 17 years old when she starred in the movie. However, her seamless transition from a carefree young girl to a grief-stricken woman won the hearts of critics and viewers.
She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. At the time, she became the second-youngest actress to achieve this honour, following Dimple Kapadia, who won Best Actress at just 17 for her role in Bobby (1973).
In Prem Rog, Kolhapure has an understated chemistry with Rishi Kapoor, whose character, Devdhar, is a well-educated orphan.
Devdhar’s determination to restore Manorama’s dignity and win her love becomes a metaphor for challenging regressive attitudes. His journey isn’t just about love; it’s about rebellion against a society that thrives on double standards.
Raza Murad (who plays Raja Virendra Pratap; Manorama’s brother-in-law) and Kulbhushan Kharbanda (who plays Chote Thakur; Manorama’s father) play antagonists in the film. Both egotistical men, who firmly believe women are mere puppets to be used and discarded at their whim, face their ultimate downfall.
Emotional depth with music
A Raj Kapoor film is incomplete without music, and Prem Rog has Ravindra Jain’s compositions. The soundtrack — a blend of melodies and heartfelt lyrics — enhances the emotional depth of the story.
Songs like Meri Kismat Mein Tu Nahin and Bhanware Ne Khilaya Phool are gems that linger in the heart long after the film ends. The song ‘Yeh Galiyan Yeh Chaubara’, sung by Lata Mangeshkar, remains iconic even today. The song was also featured in the 2002 film Mujhse Dosti Karoge!
In 2021, Kolhapure appeared in a music video and sang the song in her voice. The music video has over 5.2 million views.
A layered narrative
Raj Kapoor’s direction in Prem Rog is unhurried, allowing the audience to fully absorb the emotional weight of the narrative. Each scene is meticulously shot, by cinematographer Radhu Karmakar, be it the vibrant festivities of a rural wedding or the stillness of Manorama’s life after her husband’s death.
While the film hints at feminism through moments like the mother and sister-in-law defending Manorama against societal oppression, Raj Kapoor ultimately falls short of fully exploring or expanding on these themes, leaving them as mere undertones.
Manorama’s mother and sister-in-law in a way offer resistance to the oppressive norms imposed on her. In one pivotal scene, her sister-in-law interrupts a ritual meant to shave Manorama’s head, challenges the family, and hands her the keys to the household. Meanwhile, her mother persistently encourages her to see hope and consider a future with Devdhar, even when Manorama appears to have given up.
That said, the film has its share of flaws.
A scene depicting Manorama’s assault by her brother-in-law is unsettling in its lack of resolution. The film avoids addressing the incident with the seriousness it demands—there’s no punishment for the perpetrator, and Manorama’s father, who staunchly supports the brother-in-law, dies without ever learning the truth. By failing to hold the brother-in-law accountable or to offer Manorama any form of justice, the narrative leaves the assault disturbingly unresolved.
As Prem Rog reaches its climax, the narrative becomes dominated by male characters. It becomes their anger and their fight, shifting Manorama’s role to that of a ‘damsel in distress’ who must be saved. And that is Prem Rog’s fallacy. It could have been so much more.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)
This post was originally published on here
