Boot Polish

1954 DramaComedy 149 minutes Directed by Prakash Arora

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About Boot Polish

After their mother dies, Bhola and Belu are left with their aunt Kamla, who sends them begging on the Bombay streets and beats the coins out of them at night. A bootlegger neighbor, John, tells them to earn a living. They hide part of the take, buy a polish kit, and shine shoes until Kamla finds it and throws them out. John is arrested selling illicit liquor he hoped would pay for a shirt and a frock. Rain kills the trade; Bhola slaps Belu for taking a tossed coin, she escapes onto a train and is adopted, and he is taken by the police. Begging later at a station, he sees her leaving on holiday, runs, and is caught by Belu and by John, who falls and is hurt. The family adopts him too.

Cast & crew

More about Boot Polish

Prakash Arora is the credited director. Raj Kapoor produced it at R. K. Films and ghost-directed. Bhanupratap wrote the story and screenplay. G. G. Mayekar edited. R. K. Films released it on 12 February 1954.

Themes

  • Coins beaten out of two children
  • A polish box against begging
  • A station reunion and a second adoption
  • Bhola
  • Belu
  • Kamla
  • shoe shine
  • Bombay
  • John
  • orphan
  • railway station

Making

Arora had been Kapoor’s assistant. The producer kept his own name off the directing credit and still ran the picture, which is why later accounts call it ghost-directed.

Look

Tara Dutt shot the black-and-white picture. The Filmfare cinematography prize for the year was his.

Music

Shankar–Jaikishan wrote the music. Besides the songs already named in the titles, Asha Bhosle and Manna Dey share “Raat Gayi, Phir Din Aata Hai,” and Talat Mahmood joins Bhosle on “Chali Kaunse Desh.”

Notes

  • Ratan Kumar plays Bhola and Baby Naaz plays Belu. Chand Burke is Kamla. Bhudo Advani plays Pedro.
  • Raj Kapoor appears as himself, a man on a bus.
  • Lyricist Shailendra is on screen as a blind singer for “Chali Kaunse Desh Gujariya Tu Saj Dhajke.”
  • Hasrat Jaipuri, Shailendra, and Deepak wrote the lyrics. Asha Bhosle sings “Main Baharon Ki Natkhat Rani” and, with Mohammed Rafi, “Nanhe Munne Bachche.” Manna Dey sings “Lapak Jhapak Tu Aa Re Badarwa.”
  • In the Indian Express of 2 April 1954, Kapoor’s piece “Why I Produced Boot Polish” ties the children to the slum argument of Awaara and says private charity will not fix organized beggary.
  • At Cannes in 1955 Naaz received a special mention as a child actress.

Awards

  • Filmfare Award for Best Film (Raj Kapoor), 1955
  • Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor (David), 1955
  • Filmfare Award for Best Cinematographer (Tara Dutt), 1955
  • Cannes Film Festival special mention for a child actress (Naaz), 1955

Scenes

  • Kamla takes the night’s coins and beats the children.
  • They hide money until they can buy polish and a brush.
  • In the rain Bhola slaps Belu for picking up a coin someone threw.
  • Belu rides off on a train with strangers; Bhola is held by the police.
  • At the holiday platform he begs, sees her, and runs until John falls between them.

Influenced by

  • Awaara (1951)

Also available

  • Wikimedia Commons (Boot Polish (1954).webm)