As the title suggests this story of Kal Aaj Aur Kal is about three generations which had its footings in the film fraternity itself – the Kapoor family. Prithviraj-Raj and Randhir Kapoors aptly captured on the canvas by Randhir himself. This one is a rare one.
A delightfully light movie which had an uncanny parody by Mehmood of this very three generation of Kapoors in the 1970’s Humjoli. Kal Aaj Aur Kal is about the only movie which has all three generations of the same family in it at the same time and playing the same characters in reel life too and that too the premiere Kapoor family for that matter.
Released on December 17, 1971, Kal Aaj Aur Kal tells of the rigors of the middle generation which is sandwiched between the traditions of the past generation and the liberties of the next generation and how it tries to balance both by taking the load on itself. Apart from the above three it also had the fourth Kapoor, Babita, who went on to become Randhir’s wife in real life too. Though it was Prithviraj’s one of the last films as he passed away in 1972. The strife between the three generations has been displayed on the silver screen with élan.
Grandfather Diwan Bahadur Kapoor (Prithviraj Kapoor) who live in the village is the overbearing head of the family. The grandson Rajesh (Randhir) studies abroad and lives there. The middle generation Ram Bahadur (Raj Kapoor) a widower is unable to continue to live alone in such a big house and has convinced the other two to stay together which they agree. Now grandpa has his own designs as he has promised his friend, that he will marry his grandson, to his friend’s granddaughter. Rajesh believes in self-determination and would rather follow his own path in life and cannot be cajoled into any promises made by the past generations which he needs to uphold. He is also very much in love with his girlfriend Monica (Babita), a modern girl with modern values.
On the day of celebrations of his return to India he comes to know of his grandpa’s deal, when his grandpa announces his grand roadmap for his grandson. Rajesh frets and fumes and would have none of it this. The bickering between the grandpa and grandson has its negative effect on the middle generation Ram Bahadur (Raj Kapoor), who has always wanted the three generations to live together as a family, pressed from both sides he has to endure, but as the bickering grows he is not able to take it anymore and leaves the house for both the Old and the new to reconcile. As Ram takes to wine and women with a vengeance, the other two conspire to get him back and pretend reconciliation to save themselves from public ignominy. Ram finds out their ruse and takes matters into his own hands to straighten out both and iron out things.
The movie Kal Aaj Aur Kal was Randhir Kapoor’s directorial debut. It had many a hummable numbers, notably the title songs which is very peppy and very beautifully picturized on the whole family in one frame including Babita, another well sung number is ‘Bhaware ki gunjan’ by Kishore Kumar and last but not the least the funny ‘Hum jab honge saath saal ke’.
Though a moderate success as it missed the sharp masterly touch of Raj Kapoor himself, but nonetheless see three generations of Kapoor in one frame is rewarding enough.
– Revisited by PAWAN GUPTA
