Shree 420

Reissue Bollywood poster of the Raj Kapoor cult classic, Shree 420 (1955) for sale.

Featured here for sale is a recent reissue Bollywood poster of the cult Hindi film Shree 420 (translated as Mr. 420 and sometimes also spelled as Shri 420).

Shree 420 is a 1955 Bollywood classic directed and produced by the Showman of Indian cinema Raj Kapoor, featuring him in a leading role opposite Nargis. Printed and circulated somewhere in the 2000s, this reissue Bollywood movie poster was originally designed for publicity of the recent re-release of the film but never ended up being used.

Raj Kapoor is seen prominently in his classic Tramp avatar in this Shree 420 poster. Nargis is seen resplendent in white in the background.

An iconic scene from the film depicting Raj Kapoor and Nargis holding an umbrella on a rainy night, singing the blockbuster hit song, “Pyar hua ikrar hua” is seen on the top right of this Shree 420 poster.

The “Pyar hua ikrar hua” image depicting Raj Kapoor and Nargis singing and dancing under a shared umbrella in pouring rain is regarded as one of the most iconic images in Bollywood.

Shree 420 is widely regarded as a classic in Indian cinema. Raj Kapoor is remembered as the greatest showman in Indian cinema – an all rounder who produced, directed as well as starred in some of the leading films of his time.

In Shree 420, Raj Kapoor’s character is heavily influenced by Charlie Chaplin’s “little tramp”, similar to his character in a film that released four years prior in 1951 called Awaara. The film has to its credit some of the greatest songs ever made in Bollywood such as “Mera Joota Hai Japani” (My shoes are Japanese), which went on to become a patriotic symbol of the newly independent India. In India, Shree 420 became the highest grossing film of the year (1955). In Russia, Shree 420 received mass appeal and made Raj Kapoor a household name.