'Raj Kapoor 100': His iconic films which had two intervals
The Kapoor family is all set to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor on Saturday (December 14). To mark the occasion, they are hosting a film festival—Raj Kapoor 100—celebrating his enduring legacy in cinema. It will be held from Friday (December 13) to Sunday (December 15). Ahead of this grand festival, let's take a closer look at Kapoor's two iconic films, which featured not one but two separate intervals!
'Sangam' made history with its dual intermissions
Released on June 18, 1964, Sangam—directed, produced, and edited by Kapoor—was reportedly the first Hindi film to have two intervals. The oddity was because of its long duration of three hours and 58 minutes. However, even with the long run time, the film was a box office hit on release. The story follows a love triangle between two best friends, Sundar (Kapoor) and Gopal (Rajendra Kumar), who fall for the same girl Radha (Vyjayanthimala).
'Mera Naam Joker' followed suit with 2 intervals
Six years after Sangam's release, Kapoor's cult classic Mera Naam Joker also had two intervals. The movie had an even longer run time of 4 hours and 15 minutes, per News18. However, unlike its predecessor, Mera Naam Joker didn't do well at the box office and failed to impress critics on release. The story is about the life of a circus performer (Kapoor) who makes his audience laugh at his own expense.
The success story of 'Mera Naam Joker'
According to the book Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman by Ritu Nanda, Kapoor re-edited Mera Naam Joker and released it again a decade after its initial flop. Surprisingly, the film became a major success upon its re-release. Starring Manoj Kumar, Simi Garewal, and Rishi Kapoor—Kapoor spared no effort in ensuring the production was flawless. The book also details how he brought in an entire Russian circus and the Bolshoi ballerina dancer Kseniya Ryabinkina to appear in the film.
Other lengthy films in Bollywood history
Apart from Sangam and Mera Naam Joker, many other movies have surpassed the regular two-hour run time. These include Sholay, Lagaan, LOC Kargil, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Salaam-E-Ishq and Gangs Of Wasseypur (GOW). However, all these movies had just one interval. Owing to its almost five-hour-long runtime, Gangs Of Wasseypur was released in two separate installments as GOW 1 and GOW 2.
