Manoj Kumar wanted to re-edit Mera Naam Joker to help Raj Kapoor, says son

Kunal Goswami, son of the late actor Manoj Kumar, discussed his father's friendship with the late Raj Kapoor and their shared love of the iconic film Mera Naam Joker in a frank interview with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel. Raj Kapoor's ambitious 1970 film was obviously a labour of love for both the director and, it turns out, Manoj Kumar.

Raj Kapoor and Manoj Kumar's friendship

Raj Kapoor and Manoj were very close friends, and the latter became famous as "Bharat Kumar" because of his series of nationalistic films. Kunal recalled that his father had offered to edit the film's second half in an effort to save it during the time of its release, when Mera Naam Joker was a financial disaster.

He revealed that Kapoor and Kumar had a conversation. Kunal had heard from his dad that if he could edit the second half of the film, they could alter its overall structure. However, he is unsure as to whether or not that actually occurred. Kunal was informed by his dad that this conversation took place, but it was about editing and not direction.

He flatly disputed that Kumar had ever directed any scenes from the film, asking, "Why would he (Manoj) direct?" Kapoor was exceptional and people looked up to him; he was constantly amazed by him.

Proposal to re-edit Mera Naam Joker

The unusual three-chapter film Mera Naam Joker chronicled the life of a clown who disguises his own misery by making other people laugh; the film ran for more than four hours and was released at two intervals. Kapoor did double duty as the film's director, producer, and star actor. Rishi Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Dharmendra, and Manoj Kumar were among the many talented actors featured in the film.

The renowned RK Studios almost went bankrupt due to the film's commercial failure upon release, despite the fact that it would go on to become a cult classic.

Kunal said that the film was just as close to his heart as it was to Kapoor, adding that it became a special film for everyone who was involved due to its failure.

Clarifying Manoj Kumar's role in the film's making

Kumar had previously discussed his personal investment in the film. In addition to rewriting the anthology's opening story, he admitted to having penned a few words for his character.

The veteran actor rewrote the first chapter of this trilogy for fun; he had no interest in the spotlight or the cash. Kumar declined to accept credit as the writer and instead paid for his own journey and hotel stay. His homage to Raj Kapoor, his "karmayogi", was Mera Naam Joker. Kumar had previously stated that the word "awara" means "khushboo" in Urdu and that the "fragrance" of Kapoor continues to envelop their senses to this day.

Despite Mera Naam Joker's initial commercial failure, it has subsequently been praised as an avant-garde masterpiece.