
S03E02 - KA Abbas and Raj Kapoor
How did filmmakers participate in the nation building project in the early years of independence? What role did films play in popularising our constitutional ideals? Tune in as host Supriya Nair takes you through the life and work of writer KA Abbas and actor-director Raj Kapoor.
This episode explores the socio-political commentary in their films and how they touched upon some of the most urgent questions of the time while entertaining audiences.
* This episode is based on Lawrence Liang’s chapter on Awara and the constitution from his forthcoming book “Objection m’lord: law and justice in Indian popular cinema”*
Guests: Iffat Fatima, Lawrence Liang, Nasreen Munni Kabir and Syeda Hameed.
Credits:
Host: Supriya Nair (Supriya Nair is Head, Research and Media as Godrej DEI Lab)
Executive Producer: Ramya Boddupalli
Producer: Gaurav Vaz
Scriptwriting and research: Bhavya Dore and Ramya Boddupalli
Fact checking: Mallika Dandekar
Audio and sound design: Saachi Rajadhyaksha
Mastering: Ayan De
Recording Studio: at Stitch Audio, Mumbai
Thank you to Sukhada Tatke for editing support
Advisors: Gouri Divan, Lawrence Liang, Ranvir Singh, Shyam Divan and Vivek Divan advised the show.
Special thanks to Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Justice Gautam Patel, Reetika Subramanian, Sugandha Yadav and Vasuman Khandelwal.
Friend of the Court
S3 Episodes release every Wednesday
Friend of the Court is back for a 3rd season. This time, the show moves out of the courtroom to tell the stories of 7 individuals and their unique role in shaping India's constitutional culture. Over 6 episodes, we look at the lives and contributions of Justice Fazl Ali, the lawyer KG Kannabiran, filmmakers Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Raj Kapoor, women’s rights leader Hansa Mehta, artist Nandalal Bose and political thinker MN Roy. Some of these figures might be better known than others, each left an impact in their chosen field in their own way.
- No. of episodes: 25
- Latest episode: 2025-04-22
- Education Society & Culture