After the epic 'Mera Naam Joker' runtime discussion, here's another uncertainty - Raj Kapoor's 'Awaara'...



As we can see, the reissued 1977 censor certificate lists the film length as being 4626.25 metres, which is equal to about 168 minutes. Both the YRF and Shemaroo DVDs run for 168 minutes too, but those were taken from 25fps PAL sources. The actual 24fps length should be closer to 175 minutes, so the CC information would appear to be wrong.

Any ideas, folks?

I would like to get to know this, too.
In the imdb there is listed a maximum running time even of 193 min.
And the 168min movie seems to be cut, for there are some puzzling inconsistencies in the story.

I don't have the YRF DVD but Shemaroo DVD sure has every 5th frame in 5th and 6th implying 4% speed up. 168 min of 4% speed up video equaling 175 min of film time.

4626 meters implying a film run time of 168 min is from its 1977 film version that must have been cut from the orig 1951 version. A cc from 1951 film version will tell the real film run time. imdb, as well as, wikipedia state the film run time of 193 min.

If not in India, orig 1951 film print might be avail in Russia, China etc ?? (A Chinese friend told me, a few yrs back, that Awara has been running in China all the time since 50s, without a break, until now.

May be, time to visit Esquire Awara VHS in quest for 193 min version ??
(I don't have Esquire Awara VHS and VHS rental places are in-active and it's difficult to find the title)

Strange then that a CC certificate listing a runtime of 168 minutes is from a print that runs for 175 minutes.

They are not supposed to but they often do alter the content although a cc is supposed to be issued for a particular content.
Another famous example is Director's Cut Sholay Director's Cut DVD that has cc attached to it. Censors never cleared that version.

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Anyway, it'll be nice to find an original runtime version of 193 film run time. Apart from foreign markets, Indian Film Archieve may be another source to look for lost content, if RK Films has lost it for ever. Recall, someone (Sanjay or ??) mentioned at one time Raj Kapoor quoting that once a scene is cut, the footage is not stored (as they don't have space) and the film stock is sold as raw stock to Kabaddies.

Original running time is 193 minutes.

Look at the certificate again -- It clearly says "Awara Sanshodhit" -- not "Awara"
This is a separate version, and "revised" -- just like "Sholay Sanshodhit" on the Sholay certificate.
Ideally, this should be treated as a separate version on its own, and not "cut", since the producers/studio took this decision.
Wasn't Awara an adult movie when first released?

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In 2000, BBFC passed a video version running 168 minutes http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classifie ... enDocument

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Looks like new certificates list "cuts" enforced by the board on the reverse -- would be nice if dvd authors started scanning the reverse too and adding an image to the dvd.

http://www.tapeworm.com/Item.html?ID=13613 << Looks like there's a Tapeworm dvd too of Awara

http://www.hopetoseeyousoon.com/amazon/ ... Awara.html

That's the YRF DVD - 175 minutes, or 168 with PAL speed-up.

A link from Eastern Europe?
http://www.kinoaero.cz/archiv/content/d ... ml?id=1582

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0nEdcQadCbI
Looks like Shemaroo has come up with a new version running at 174 mins. Probably its just the same content without any PAL speedup.

I haven't purchased it yet. I'm waiting for someone's opinions on this.
Has anyone been able to buy it?

Hope it's not a typo

That's a YouTube video I was talking about. The clock shows 2:54 hours. So that's supposed to be the run time of the video. It's available for purchase. Haven't purchased it yet.

NFAI lists 181 mins for the archive they own.
http://www.nfaipune.gov.in/asp_files/se ... p?srno=120