Kapoor's academic career was short lived and owing to his disastrous matriculation exam results, he stated his desire to join films and his father got him a job at Ranjit Studios, Mumbai, run by Chandulal Shah, on the condition that his son would be treated like any other worker, and would not be paid a salary.

Raj Kapoor worked as Kidar Sharma's assistant for a year before chancing upon an advertisement from Bombay Talkies for applicants in the acting and production departments. Starting out as a salaried employee, he did odd jobs at the studio, including sweeping floors, all of which trained him in the various aspects of running a film studio.

Unable to get a starring role at Bombay Talkies, he joined Prithvi Theatres, started by his father in 1944. Starting as a general assistant, his salary was Rs. 201, one rupee more than his salary at Bombay Talkies. At Prithvi Theatres, Raj Kapoor's younger brother Shammi Kapoor, got a break before him, and Raj followed with the play Deewar in 1945.

In 1944, Raj Kapoor received the offer for his first lead role in Neel Kamal (1947), directed by Kidar Sharma, whom he had previously assisted, the film starred Begum Para and Madhubala. Prior to this, Kapoor had acted in a few films, including Kidar Sharma's Gauri (1943), Valmiki (1946), Chittor Vijay (1947), Dil Ki Rani (1947), Jail Yatra (1947). However, playing the lead role for the first time in Neel Kamal marked a significant moment in his career.

As an assistant working with Kidar Sharma, one of Kapoor's duties included operating the clapboard before every shot. One time, during a shoot, an accident on set led to director Kidar Sharma being injured in the eye. Recognizing his mistake, Kapoor quietly walked off the set. Sharma later remarked that he was captivated by the depth and pain in Kapoor's intense eyes and decided to cast him in Neel Kamal. While Kapoor had confidently embarked on his acting career, he saved the money he earned from acting, to start RK Films in 1947.

Raj Kapoor always wanted to be a filmmaker and launched RK Films in 1947. Aag (1948), was the first film to be produced under his banner and he tied up with Eastern Studio for the shooting. At the time, Raj Kapoor was 23 years old, making him the youngest producer and director in the industry.

Drawing from semi-autobiographical elements, the film is the story of Kewal (Raj Kapoor), a stage producer, who has gone through several tragic experiences in his life, including having his face burnt in a fire. The central conflict in the film is philosophical, between inner and outer beauty, as well the negotiation between falsehoods and reality. Starring Nargis, Kamini Kaushal, Premnath, and Shashi Kapoor as a child artist, the film marked the beginning of an enduring association between Raj Kapoor and Nargis.

Made with a huge budget of Rs. 3,00,000, Kapoor was confident of making a profit owing to his vision and the thematic richness in the narrative. However, the film received critical acclaim, wherein the emotional power and technical finesse of the film was appreciated but it received only moderate commercial success at the time of its release.

Despite being his first directorial venture, Kapoor made the daring choice of appearing disfigured in several scenes in the film. The intense love scenes were notable and conveyed the longing and desires of youth, and the film featured Kapoor's belief that eroticism was central to Indian tradition, a theme that would develop in his films to come.

1949 was eventful for Raj Kapoor with the stupendous success of two of his films, Barsaat and Andaz.

Kapoor, once again was the producer, director, and actor in Barsaat. The melodious music by Shankar-Jaikishen, the mood of exuberance, and youthful energy, together with the on-screen pairing of Kapoor and Nargis, made the film the most successful film that year.

The iconic symbol of RK Films, the embrace showing a man playing the violin while a woman falls into his arms, was inspired by a still photograph taken from Barsaat. His earlier film, Aag, was reportedly influenced by the cinematography in Orson Welles' films, which led Kapoor to use the wide-angle lens extensively while shooting Barsaat as well.

Directed by Mehboob Khan, Andaz (1949) marked a milestone in Raj Kapoor's career. Achieving a casting coup, Khan managed to get Dilip Kumar, Nargis, and Kapoor together for the film. All three actors were established stars, and the film marked the only time when Kapoor and Kumar acted together in a film. The collaboration highlighted the different acting approaches embodied by the two actors wherein Kumar was a method actor, intensely preparing for his scenes, and examining the various facets of his character; while Kapoor was a more spontaneous actor, able to switch in and out of roles seamlessly.

Andaz marked the steady rise of Kapoor's star power, cementing his reputation amongst critics and audiences alike.

The film that propelled Raj Kapoor to international stardom was Awara (1951). His third film as a producer, director, and actor, the film was written by K.A. Abbas and V.P. Sathe, with screenplay and dialogues by K.A. Abbas. The film marked the first collaboration between Kapoor and Abbas, a pivotal relationship that would continue throughout his life and career.

Abbas had originally offered the script to Mehboob Khan, who deferred his decision, and Kapoor quickly acquired it. It was also Abbas who convinced Prithviraj Kapoor to play the role of the father, as he was still playing the role of the main lead and was reluctant to start playing the father's role in films!

Awara (1951) presented a fundamental dichotomy— environment versus heredity. The film explored the question of whether a person is determined by their upbringing and societal influences (environment) or by their birth and nature (genes). Raju, the tramp (Raj Kapoor), comes to Bombay looking to lead a respectable life but gets caught in the web of the underworld. The film centered on the conflict between Raju, and Judge Raghunath (Prithviraj Kapoor), a man of strict principles who does not know that Raju/ Raj is his own son. The confrontation between the son of a respected judge raised in poverty and crime, with the judge's belief in strict principles versus the reality of a decadent society, made for a powerful statement about the immense disruptions of post-Partition India. The themes of unemployment and corruption brought together social commentary along with entertainment in the film.

The lavish dream sequence in the film was the first to be shot in the newly established RK Studios, and Kapoor considered it to be the best dream sequence ever shot by him.

Awara not only became a massive hit in the country, it also became an international sensation, captivating audiences across the Middle East, Turkey, China, and especially the former Soviet Union (USSR). The song “Awara Hoon” was being sung from Mumbai to Moscow, and the film established the figure of the tramp associated with Raj Kapoor.

The figure of the tramp or the vagabond was an enduring cinematic persona associated with Raj Kapoor in Bombay cinema. The character was inspired by the iconic figure created by Charlie Chaplin. Kapoor was an ardent fan of Chaplin's, and had watched City Lights, Modern Times, The Gold Rush, and Limelight.

Reminiscing about his influence on his work, Kapoor said, “What drew me to Chaplin's films was Chaplin himself—the hobo, the bum, the common man. I was not drawn to him so much because of his get-up, but because of the simplicity of the 'little man' and his human emotions. How he enjoyed life, even though he was so poor. There was so much of Chaplin that affected me—the thought process behind all his beliefs. I think his hobo was one of the greatest characters ever conceived.” (Pg 242-The One and Only Showman)

Making films in post-Partition India, Kapoor saw the 'little man' everywhere, downtrodden, hoodwinked, beaten and abused for no fault of his. Beginning with Awara, his films often championed the underdog, linking social revolt with romance and hope, and in later films like Mera Naam Joker (1970), with spiritual dimensions.

Raj Kapoor achieved immense international fame, becoming the most internationally renowned figure in Indian cinema. He was India's greatest cultural ambassador and his popularity abroad soared, especially in the USSR and most communist countries, where his work resonated deeply with people.
The lovable tramp caught the people's imagination as coming out of the Second World War, the people of the USSR had suffered heavy casualties. The happy-go-lucky tramp in Awara sang of a heart full of grief but his outlook remains sunny, despite all the hardships. This message of finding happiness despite sorrow gave the Soviet people hope.
Awara was dubbed into several languages and prints of the film were reportedly flown over in Soviet expeditions near the North Pole. In 1954 alone, an estimated sixty-four million people bought tickets to Awara. Consequently, Kapoor's popularity in the Soviet Union surpassed even that of India's Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. At an official banquet for Nehru in the Soviet Union, President Bulganin and his colleagues famously sang the title song, “Awara hoon”!
Raj Kapoor's global stardom extended to Afghanistan, Iran, the Middle East, and China, where even Chairman Mao confessed to being a Raj Kapoor fan.

Directed by Prakash Arora, Boot Polish (1954) is the story of two children, Bhola and his younger sister Belu, who live in the slums of Bombay, where poverty is rampant. The film examines their hardships in the city, as they choose an honest day's work over begging for money.

Although the film was directed by Arora, the film bears the marks of Kapoor's craftsmanship as he re-shot several sections of the film. Originally, the film was intended to be without any songs but Kapoor intervened, and songs were included, along with the classic number, “Nanhe Munhe Bachche Teri Mutthi Mein Kya Hai?”

Boot Polish marks Kapoor's continued commitment to making socially relevant films. In an essay in The Indian Express on 2 April 1954 titled, 'Why I Produced Boot Polish', he wrote, “The purpose of this film is to bring home to you that these orphans are as much your responsibility as that of the government. Individual charity will not solve this problem because the only solution is a cooperative effort on a national scale.” [https://theprint.in/feature/reel-take/boot-polish-comedy-drama-with-a-critical-view-of-a-newly-independent-india/2157598/]

Shree 420 (1955), also written by K.A. Abbas, cemented Kapoor's lovable tramp figure and offered a sharp critique of society. The title of the film is taken from Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, a section for the prosecution of swindlers, cheats, and robbers.

The film follows an honest young man, Raju (Raj Kapoor), who comes to Bombay with many dreams but is drawn to a life of crime. A simple-hearted man, his two prized possessions are his Bachelor of Arts degree and a gold medal awarded to him for being the most honest and truthful boy in his school. A beggar quickly shatters his illusions, informing Raju that these possessions are worthless in Bombay, where only profiteers, black-marketeers, cardsharpers, and swindlers succeed. Raju, too, gets manipulated into a life of deceit but manages to keep his humour and humanity intact.

The iconic song, “Mera Joota hai Japaani” was a huge hit in the USSR, and the music by Shankar-Jaikishen, with lyrics by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, became one of the hallmarks of the film.

Jagte Raho (1956), produced by Raj Kapoor and written by K.A. Abbas, was a film that also dealt with the underdog, though not the tramp figure, in particular.

A simple villager (Raj Kapoor) is searching for a glass of water and enters an apartment complex inhabited by the rich and the seemingly respectable city people. The residents take him to be a thief and chase him down. As he runs from one flat to another, trying to escape, he discovers that the inhabitants of the building are bigger thieves than the ones they are supposedly hunting down.

A satire on life in the city, the film was directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra, two major figures from the progressive theatre movement in Calcutta. The music director was Salil Chowdhury, who, along with Sombhu Mitra, had been associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). Although the film did not fare well at the box-office, it received the prestigious Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1957. After this award, the film was re-released and ran to packed theatres.

The film also marked the end of the enduring partnership between Raj Kapoor and Nargis. The famous last scene from the film was the last frame shot with the two actors. Nargis went on to act in the iconic Mother India (1957) and subsequently marry actor Sunil Dutt. In many ways, the film also marked the end of a particular era for Kapoor, who till now had mainly focused on proletarian themes and cemented the figure of the tramp. The era that followed marked a sharp shift in ambition, style, and themes.

After Jagte Raho, Raj Kapoor produced and acted in a spate of films, which marked a transitional phase in his career. He produced Ab Dilli Door Nahin (1957), a film he was motivated to produce after Jawaharlal Nehru bemoaned the absence of films for children. The film is the story of a young boy who travels to Delhi, to meet “Chacha Nehru” to seek justice for his father who has been wrongly sentenced to death.

Other films included LV Prasad's Sharada (1957) alongside Meena Kumari, Ramesh Saigal's Phir Subah Hogi (1958), K.A. Abbas' Char Dil Char Rahen (1959), Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anari (1959), Naresh Saigal's Main Nashe Mein Hoon (1959), Manmohan Desai's Chhalia (1960), amongst others.

Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) was a significant production in Raj Kapoor's career, continuing the themes of social commentary, while being inspired by the idealism of the post-independence era and the push for national unity reflecting Nehruvian ideals.

Directed by Radhu Karmakar, the film was directly inspired by the Gandhian social activist Vinoba Bhave, who at the time had appealed to the dacoits operating in the ravines of Central India to surrender to the government. This was a message to which some dacoits had responded positively, and the larger initiative was to bring them within the mainstream. The underlying thought was that even hardened criminals can reform when approached with a sympathetic and productive vision.

Raj Kapoor believed in the relevance and appeal of this message, going to great lengths to depict their predicament. “It is said that in a bid to bring authenticity to the role of a dacoit, Karmakar's film had a real life, former dacoit on the sets. He would correct the director if he felt the depiction was not quite right” [Housefull: The Golden Age of Hindi Cinema by Ziya Us Salam]

Music was always Kapoor's strong suit, and he would be deeply involved in the music composition of all his films, believing that songs were key in conveying emotion. In this film, the songs, “Hum bhi hain, tum bhi ho” and “Aa ab laut chalen” were minutely crafted, with the latter being envisioned with a gigantic orchestration.

Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai was awarded the National Film Award in the Regional (Hindi) Category, and the film won four Filmfare Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing.

Sangam (1964), Raj Kapoor's first film in colour, marked a significant shift in his aesthetics and themes, and the filmmaker sent his cinematographer, Radhu Karmakar for training before embarking on the shooting of the film. Starring Vyjayanthimala and Rajendra Kumar, the love triangle inspired by Hall King's novel The Manxman, foregrounded the notion of the confluence, or Sangam of souls.

The central conflict of the film, according to Kapoor, was philosophical, rooted in Indian concepts of spiritual love and sacrifice, as opposed to the Western consumption of love. Visually, the composition of the central characters was based around a triangle, a figuration maintained till the climax of the film.

A glamorous film that revelled in the use of colour, Sangam was shot across Europe, making this the first time a filmmaker had done so. The vicarious exuberance of overseas travel appealed to the masses, and the film was a massive hit both in India and overseas. Once again, songs were integral to the film and the title song, “Bol Radha bol, sangam hoga ki nahin”, inspired by a telegram exchanged between Kapoor and Vyjantimala, became a classic.

Gone were the days of the exalted, spiritual romance of Kapoor's earlier films, as Sangam marked his move towards an exploration of sensual desire, hereafter foregrounded explicitly in his films.

After the success of Sangam (1964), Raj Kapoor continued to act in films but only returned to direction with his most ambitious and personal film, Mera Naam Joker (1970). Although K.A. Abbas and Kapoor had not collaborated for a few years, when it came to making his autobiographical magnum opus, Kapoor once again turned to Abbas for the script.

In the film, Kapoor returned to his tramp (joker/ underdog) persona. The story moved through various stages of the joker's life, where he meets a different woman in each stage, each leading to certain disillusionments. The film was intended as a reflection of Raj Kapoor's philosophy of life, love, and fulfilment. His longest production, the original runtime of the film was four hours and fifteen minutes and sparing no expense, Kapoor brought an entire Russian Circus to India, featuring the Bolshoi ballerina Kseniya Rabiankina. The most expensive film of its time, it was a massive flop, leading Kapoor to mortgage his studio, home, and even his wife's jewellery.

However, later, the film became a success when re-edited and made shorter. Mera Naam Joker also marked the debut of Rishi Kapoor, and the film won several awards, including Best Director, Best Music, Best Cinematography (Colour), and Best Child Artist at the National Film Awards in 1971.

The spectacular commercial failure of Mera Naam Joker (1970) did not deter Raj Kapoor from embarking on his next film with gusto. Once again teaming up with K.A. Abbas, the story of Bobby (1973) featured a teenage romance, inspired by the Archie comics and in particular, the class difference between the characters of Archie and Veronica, which did not affect their love for each other.

Casting his son Rishi Kapoor, and a newcomer Dimple Kapadia in the lead, Raj Kapoor gave the actors instant stardom through the blockbuster film. With a light, breezy narrative, and fashionable costumes, melodious songs, the film appealed to the new generation of changing India, becoming a trendsetter. The film continued Raj Kapoor's choice of featuring spectacle, and glamour with a mass-market appeal.

The famous scene in Bobby, where Rishi Kapoor first meets Kapadia, was directly inspired by Raj Kapoor's real-life first meeting with Nargis, when he had gone to visit her mother, the famous actor, singer, producer, director Jaddan Bai, while shooting Aag. The film's music was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the first song of the film was recorded at Natraj Labs, a new studio at the time. However, Raj Kapoor was so dissatisfied with the sound quality that he recorded it again at Famous Studios where all his earlier songs were recorded, to get the desired quality.

The tremendous success of Bobby allowed Raj Kapoor to recover his losses, and he even presented writer K.A. Abbas with a car, as a gift for writing the script of the film.

After Bobby (1973), Raj Kapoor donned the director's hat for Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978). The film revisited the theme of inner beauty (the soul) versus outer beauty (the disfigured face), previously explored in his debut film, Aag.

Inspired by Lata Mangeshkar's voice, the film featured the story of Roopa (Zeenat Aman), a woman with a mellifluous voice whose face was disfigured by fire. She faces heartbreak and tragedy before her inner beauty is revealed to the man she loves (Shashi Kapoor). The narrative foregrounded questions of love, and social responsibility, as Raj Kapoor wished to highlight that love and faith are foundational to a relationship, and physical beauty is alluring but ultimately, superficial.

In keeping with his earlier colour films, Satyam Shivam Sundaram possessed a spectacular visual quality that heightened the sensuality of the film. The explicit sexuality of the film took the audience by surprise and Kapoor defended his position maintaining eroticism to be an integral part of life.

The music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal was stunning and Kapoor gave singer Mukesh's son, Nitin Mukesh his singing debut in the film, as the film was being shot when Mukesh died. The film received Filmfare Awards for Best Music and Best Cinematography.

Prem Rog (1982) is an important work in Raj Kapoor's later directorial phase, known for its strong social commentary and focus on women's issues. The concept for the film was initiated by a radio play written by Kamna Chandra. The play triggered Kapoor's visualization and propelled his decision to turn it into a film.

A poignant love story set against the backdrop of oppressive feudal traditions, the film deals with the issue of widow remarriage. Manorama (Padmini Kolhapure) is a carefree young girl who gets married into a Thakur family. Immediately following the wedding, she loses her husband in an accident, and her life is turned upside down as she faces severe hardships and injustices as a young Hindu widow. The film challenged the hypocrisy of those who enforce social norms while denying women, particularly widows, their basic right to happiness and remarriage.

Kapoor deployed box-office embellishments like music and spectacle to bring a pertinent social issue to audiences and amplify the film's message. The song “Bhanvre Ne Khilaya Phool” was picturized in Holland, in a tulip field and was inspired by Kapoor's desire to capture a million blooming flowers.

The film won Raj Kapoor the Best Director Filmfare Award in 1982, and it also won Filmfare Awards for Best Actress, Best Editor, and Best Lyricist.

Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) was the final film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film's core idea was born roughly twenty-five years earlier, after he had heard a story about the sadhu Totapuri Maharaj, who remarked to Sri Ramakrishna, “Ram, yeh teri Ganga kitni maili hai?” (Ram, how dirty is this Ganga of yours?). The film turned the defilement of the sacred Ganga into a powerful metaphor for the corruption and exploitation of purity and innocence.
Starring Rajiv Kapoor, Raj Kapoor's youngest son, alongside Mandakini, the film was controversial due to its explicit love scenes and the near nudity of the heroine. Despite the controversy, the film became one of the highest grossing films of the 1980s. It also won multiple awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Music, and Best Art Direction at the Filmfare Awards.
A lesser-known fact about the film is that Kapoor came to K.A. Abbas and his collaborator VP Sathe with a problem that he was facing with the opening and climax sequences of the film, and the two writers worked out these scenes with him.

On May 2, 1988 Raj Kapoor was scheduled to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in New Delhi. He suffered a severe asthma attack and was unable to walk up to the stage. In an exceptional gesture, the President of India, R. Venkataraman, broke protocol and stepped down from the podium to present the award to Kapoor, who was seated in the front row.
Following the award ceremony, Kapoor was rushed to the hospital, where he slipped into a coma and passed away on June 2, 1988, due to multiple organ failure leading to cardio-respiratory arrest. He was sixty-four years old.

An extraordinary showman, Raj Kapoor's legacy as a patriarch of India's film industry endures. A producer, director, actor, and storyteller, he masterfully intertwined art and commercial interests. With a canny eye on providing entertainment for audiences, he successfully integrated social issues into his films, capturing the pulse of the times, enabling millions to connect with his films.
His career was defined by the enduring creation of the "little man" persona, the tramp embodied in many of his early films that cemented his stardom. This persona dealt with the interaction of social revolt and economic disparities of the underprivileged, conveying humanist ideals through the philosophy of the Joker. The Joker represented the core belief that one must bear sorrow and misery to spread laughter and joy, reflecting Kapoor's own beliefs.

Raj Kapoor's filmmaking aligned closely with the ethos of post-Independence India. He felt it was his duty to follow figures like Jawaharlal Nehru, whom he viewed as being a visionary who wanted every Indian to do something for the nation, and Kapoor endeavoured to do whatever he could, through his films.
Raj Kapoor recognized the potential of popular cinema to address social issues effectively and influence people, especially in a country where the literacy rate was low, making cinema an important medium of thought and communication. He viewed a great filmmaker as being akin to a nation builder, much like a politician and a statesman, being able to affect change.

As a filmmaker, Raj Kapoor's technical experimentations, and an acute awareness of the cinematic rhythm and its centrality in providing an emotionally reverberating impact, enabled him to masterfully craft films with a lasting effect. Whether it was the black and white era, or the later colour films, his mastery over the craft was evident in each of his films.
His musical flair, observed from the very beginning of his career, set a benchmark for Bombay cinema. His sense of rhythm, timing, and the aptness of a song to a situation, made him insist on specific musical details and compositions, to create the complete effect, as he believed that music and song could communicate what words could not.

The first cross-border love story, Henna (1991), was Raj Kapoor's last directorial endeavour. The story of the film was conceptualised by K.A. Abbas while working on the script for Mera Naam Joker, and Abbas presented the script of the film as a birthday gift to his long-time friend and collaborator, in a basket decorated with henna leaves. Abbas passed away in 1987 and Kapoor in the following year and while neither of them could see the film through, the ambitious film was ultimately completed by Kapoor's sons as a tribute to him.
The story goes that Kapoor was looking for the right person to play Henna but could not find her. He had left behind the script and two songs, "Chitthiye Ni Dard Firaaq Valiye" sung by Lata Mangeshkar, and “Mai der karta nahin, der ho jati hai”. Henna was directed by Randhir Kapoor, and the film was shot in Manali and Austria. While the crew wanted to shoot in Pakistan, the requisite permissions did not arrive in time.
Henna is a story built around the theme of human relationships and the political division of the Indian subcontinent. It focuses on the idea of unity of people from the two nations, India and Pakistan. The central premise is that while man has divided nations, love cannot be divided. Raj Kapoor intended it to be a beautiful document of shared human values amongst people, irrespective of caste, religion, country, or language.
The premiere of the film was inaugurated by the President of India as a tribute to the memory of Raj Kapoor ( factually wrong, only Dadasaheb Phalke award was given by the then President R Venkatraman in 1987), and artist MF Husain produced twelve graphics on the film as a remembrance of one of the leading figures in Indian cinema.