Raj Kapoor (pronounced[raːdʒkəˈpuːɾ]; born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor; 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor)[2] was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema.[3] He is considered one of the greatest and most influential actors and filmmakers in the history of Indian cinema,[4] and has been referred to as The Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema[5] and as the Charlie Chaplin of Indian Cinema.[6][7][8][9]
His films were global commercial successes in parts of Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Soviet bloc.[15] The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 for his contributions to the arts.[16] India's highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was bestowed to him in 1988 by the Government of India.
Early life and background
Raj Kapoor was born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor on 14 December 1924 at Kapoor Haveli, a large house then owned by his grandfather in the Qissa Khwani Bazaar neighborhood of Peshawar, British India into a Punjabi Hindu family[17] of the Kapoor clan, who belonged to the Dhai GharKhatri community. He had an Arya Samaji upbringing.[18] His parents were Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Devi Kapoor (née Mehra). The Kapoor family hailed originally from Samundri, Samundri Tehsil, Lyallpur District, Punjab Province, British India.[19] He was the eldest of six children in the family.[20][21] He was the grandson of Dewan Basheshwarnath Kapoor, great-grandson of Dewan Keshavmal Kapoor, and great-great-grandson of Dewan Murli Mal Kapoor, and was part of the famous Kapoor family. His brothers were the late actors Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor. He also had a sister named Urmila Sial. Two other siblings died in infancy. Kapoor's family later on moved from Peshawar to Bombay for residence and for education.
He is the nephew of actor Trilok Kapoor, who is the younger brother of his father. His first cousin was director Vijay Kapoor who was the son of Trilok Kapoor and actor Subbiraj who was his father's sister's son. His father's cousin was film producer Surinder Kapoor, whose children are producer Boney Kapoor and actors Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor.[22] His father's maternal first cousins were actors Kamal Kapoor, Ravindra Kapoor, and Nandkishore Kapoor. Kamal's grandson is filmmaker Goldie Behl. His maternal first cousin, Juggal Kishore Mehra, was a singer, whose step-granddaughter, Salma Agha, later became an actress and singer.
The year 1949 changed the trajectory of Kapoor's career.[31] His first release Sunehre Din flopped commercially, but the next one Parivartan emerged a commercially successful venture while his third release, Mehboob Khan's romantic dramaAndaz which also had Dilip Kumar and Nargis went on to become highly successful at the box office.[32] This was followed by Barsaat, which he also directed and produced.[33] The film went ahead of the former, eventually emerging an All Time Blockbuster and highest grossing Indian film of all time, breaking the record of Ashok Kumar starrer Kismet.[34] It ran in Kolkata's Paradise Cinema for almost two years.[35] The huge box office success of Andaz and Barsaat made Kapoor one of the leading male stars of the time along with Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand.[36]
The following year, he solidified his star-status with superhits in Sargam and Dastan opposite Rehana and the then top actress Suraiya, respectively.[37][38] Kapoor had only one release in 1951 which was his own directional, the crime dramaAwaara co-starring Prithviraj Kapoor and Nargis.[39] The film opened to highly positive response from critics as well as the audience and proved to be another major success for the actor.[40] Its soundtrack composed by Shankar–Jaikishan was the best-selling Hindi film music album of the 1950s and became hugely popular in foreign markets as well, especially the South Asian nations like Soviet Union, China, Turkey and Afghanistan.[41][42]Awaara also earned Kapoor a massive fan-following in Soviet Union where the film had approximately 100 million admissions and remains the third-most watched foreign film in the country.[43] In 1952, he reunited with Nargis for psychological dramaAnhonee and crime noirBewafa.[44][45] While Anhonee was given the verdict of superhit, Bewafa which also had Ashok Kumar in the lead could only manage average returns.[46] This was followed by a minor setback, the next year as none of his films, including Aah and Dhoon worked at the box office.[47]
After having no major appearance in 1954, he made a comeback in 1955 with the comedy drama film Shree 420, co-starring Nargis and Nadira.[48] This one too like his previous directional venture Awara, opened to massive acclaim and emerged the top-grossing film of the year.[49] Its songs, such as "Mera Joota Hai Japani", a solo by Mukesh, "Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua", a duet by Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshkar and ""Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh", a duet by Dey and Asha Bhosle topped the year-end annual list of Binaca Geetmala and made its soundtrack the fourth best-selling Bollywood album of the 1950s.[50][51]Shree 420 was released in the Soviet Union in 1956 and it took 2nd spot at the Soviet box office charts that year.[52] Despite being imported at an unusually high price, it was the most successful foreign film of the year at the Soviet box office, drawing an audience of 35 million viewers.[53] At 3rd National Awards, it won National Award for Second Best Feature Film in Hindi.[54] The following year, he found success in Anant Thakur's Chori Chori and a setback in Sombhu Mitra's Jagte Raho (which he also produced).[55] Although underperforming commercially, the latter received acclaim and its Bengali version won Certificate of Merit at the 4th National Film Awards.[56]Chori Chori and Jagte Raho also proved to be the final film appearances of Nargis opposite Kapoor.[57]
After delivering a moderate fare with Sharada in 1957, Kapoor delivered two successful films, the next year - Phir Subha Hogi and Parvarish, both co-starring Mala Sinha.[58][59] In 1959, he collaborated with Hrishikesh Mukherjee for the comedy drama film Anari, which also had Nutan, Motilal and Lalita Pawar in the lead.[60] The film emerged a major commercial success with trade pundits classifying it as a blockbuster.[61] It also took 1st spot at the box office that year and proved to be a breakthrough for Mukherjee whose last directional Musafir received lukewarm response from audience.[62][63] Music of Anari was a chartbuster, especially the song "Kisi Ki Muskurahaton Pe", a solo by Mukesh which made its soundtrack one of the best-selling Hindi film album of the decade.[51] For his performance in the film, Kapoor won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[64]
In 1964, Kapoor had two releases, Dulha Dulhan opposite Sadhana and his own directional Sangam, co-starring Vyjayanthimala and Rajendra Kumar, which was the first Indian film to be exclusively shot abroad on locations including London, Paris and Switzerland and was also among the most expensive film of its time with the longest runtime for an Indian film up to that time.[70] The former proved to be a hit venture, while Sangam, which was Kapoor's first color film went on to become an All Time Blockbuster and the second-highest grossing film of the 1960s behind Mughal-E-Azam.[71] Its soundtrack composed by Shankar-Jaikishan was a rage among the masses as well as the best-selling Hindi film album of the 1960s with songs that remain popular till date like "Dost Dost Na Raha", "Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega", "Bol Radha Bol", "Yeh Mera Prem Patra".[72]Sangam also proved to be one of the last major hits of Kapoor as a lead.[70]
Decline, focus on direction and further acting assignments (1965–1988)
Kapoor lost stardom in the late-1960s as his subsequent releases, such as Teesri Kasam (1966), Diwana (1967), Around the World (1967) and Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968) were commercially unsuccessful.[73]
In 1970, he starred, produced and directed Mera Naam Joker, which took six years in making.[74] The film had an ensemble cast consisting of Simi Garewal, Kseniya Ryabinkina, Padmini, Manoj Kumar, Dharmendra, Rajendra Kumar and Rishi Kapoor (playing younger version of Kapoor). Upon release, Mera Naam Joker was heavily panned by critics and proved to be a box office bomb, eventually putting Kapoor into a financial crisis.[74] However, in later years, it attained cult status and is now considered one of his best films with film experts labelling it a "misunderstood masterpiece".[75] For portraying a kind-hearted clown in the film, Kapoor won BFJA Award for Best Actor (Hindi).[76]
The following year, Kapoor produced and appeared alongside his son (Randhir Kapoor) and father in Kal Aaj Aur Kal.[77] The film proved to be moderately successful and marked Shankar-Jaikishan's last collaboration with R.K. Films.[78] In 1973, he decided to launch Rishi to cover-up the losses incurred due to the box office failure of Mera Naam Joker,[79] in the romantic musicalBobby, which paired him opposite debutante Dimple Kapadia.[80] The film opened to thunderous commercial response, both in India as well as overseas and emerged an All Time Blockbuster as well as the highest-grossing film of 1973.[81][82]
In 1975, Kapoor returned to acting with two back-to-back successful films in Randhir Kapoor's Dharam Karam and Naresh Kumar's Do Jasoos.[83] In 1978, he returned to the director's chair with Satyam Shivam Sundaram starring Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman.[84] The film ran into controversies and was accused of promoting "obscenity", but opened to positive reception from critics as well as audience and earned him a nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Director category.[85][86] In 1980, Kapoor appeared alongside Sanjay Khan and Zeenat Aman in the highly anticipated romantic drama Abdullah.[87] Upon release, it did not live up to expectations and underperformed domestically, but was successful overseas due to his popularity in the Soviet Union.[88]
In 1982, Kapoor once again directed his son Rishi in the romantic musical drama Prem Rog opposite Padmini Kolhapure.[89] The film marked his return to social themes and emerged commercially successful at the box office as well as the second-highest grossing film of the year.[90][91][81] Its soundtrack composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal was also very successful and proved to be one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the decade.[92] The same year, he appeared alongside Shashi in Asit Sen's Vakil Babu, which marked his final film appearance.[93] In 1985, he directed and produced romance film Ram Teri Ganga Maili, which had his youngest son Rajiv Kapoor and the then newcomer Mandakini playing the lead roles.[94] Despite not having any stars, Ram Teri Ganga Maili took first spot at the box office that year and proved to be an All Time Blockbuster and one of the biggest hits of the 1980s.[95][96] At the 33rd Filmfare Awards, it won five awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Kapoor and Best Music Director for Ravindra Jain.[97]Ram Teri Ganga Maili was Kapoor's last work as he died in 1988. Few months before his death, he was working on an Indo-Pak cross-border love story Henna, which was later directed and released by Randhir in 1991 and went on to become a major box office success.[98][81]
Personal life
On 12 May 1946, Raj Kapoor married Krishna Malhotra. Krishna was one of nine siblings, and following her marriage, many of them joined the Hindi film industry. Her brothers, Rajendra Nath, Prem Nath and Narendra Nath, later became actors, and her sister Uma is married to actor Prem Chopra.[99]
Raj and Krishna Kapoor had five children: three sons, actors Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor, and two daughters, Ritu Nanda and Rima Jain. Randhir is married to former actress Babita and is the father of actresses Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. Rishi's widow is actress Neetu Singh and their two children are daughter Riddhima Kapoor, and son, actor Ranbir Kapoor. Raj Kapoor's elder daughter, Ritu Nanda, was married to industrialist Rajan Nanda (scion of the family which promoted and controls the Escorts group), and they had two children: daughter Nitasha Nanda and son, Nikhil Nanda, married to Shweta, daughter of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. Raj Kapoor's younger daughter, Rima Jain, is married to investment banker Manoj Jain and is the mother of Armaan Jain and Aadar Jain.
Both of Kapoor's brothers, all three of Kapoor's sons, two of Kapoor's daughters-in-law, three of Kapoor's grandchildren and a great-grandson are all actors in the Hindi film industry. His granddaughters Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor (daughters of Kapoor's eldest son Randhir), and grandson Ranbir Kapoor (son of Kapoor's second son Rishi) are the latest Hindi cinema superstars from the Kapoor family, while another of his grandsons, Nikhil Nanda (Kapoor's daughter Ritu's son), is a noted industrialist. Nikhil's son, Agastya Nanda, made his acting debut with The Archies in 2023.[100]
Kapoor had a longtime romantic relationship with renowned actress Nargis Dutt during the 1940s and 1950s, despite being a married man, although neither ever publicly admitted to this.[101] The couple starred in several films together, including Awaara and Shree 420. As Raj would not leave his wife and children, Nargis ended their relationship after Chori Chori and married Sunil Dutt with whom she fell in love on the set of Mother India (1957). In 2017, his second son Rishi confirmed his father's affair in his autobiography Khullam Khulla.[102][103][104]
Krishna Raj Kapoor died on 1 October 2018. Rajan Nanda, husband of Ritu Nanda, died on 5 August 2018. In January 2020, Ritu Nanda herself died. She was followed three months later by her younger brother Rishi, Kapoor's second son, who died in April 2020. Kapoor's third and youngest son, Rajiv, died in February 2021.[105][106][107]
Raj Kapoor suffered from asthma in his later years; he died of complications related to the disease in 1988 at the age of 63. He collapsed at the event where he was to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in New Delhi, and was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi for treatment. He was hospitalised for about a month before he succumbed to complications arising from his asthma.[108] At the time of his death, he was working on the movie Henna (an Indo-Pakistan based love story). The film was later completed by his sons Randhir Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor and was released in 1991.
Memorial at family farm in Pune
His and his parents' samadhi is at their family farm "Rajbaugh", meaning the "gardens of king". Located inside the MIT Art Design and Technology University (MIT ADTU), Rajbaugh lies on the banks of Mula-Mutha River in Loni Kalbhor village 30 km east of Pune in Maharashtra. The Kapoor family sold part of 125 acres Rajbaugh to MIT ADTU which built a memorial for the Kapoor family on its campus. The memorial was unveiled in 2014 in the presence of Lata Mangeshkar and Kapoor clan. The Kapoor family memorial has 7 pagodas showing elements of Raj Kapoor's movies, a museum or viewing gallery which showcases family photographs and moments from his movie making from 1945 to 1990. Raj Kapoor shot many of his films at this farm, including Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, and Prem Rog. The family bungalow inside the farm has been preserved; the popular song "Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho" was shot inside this bungalow.[109][110][111][112][113]
Artistry and legacy
Raj Kapoor alongside a delegation of writers from Soviet Uzbekistan (Samig Abdukakhkhar etc.), 1950s, India
Raj Kapoor is often referred as The Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema in the Indian media.[114][115][116]Film historians and movie buffs speak of him as the "Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema", since he often portrayed a tramp-like figure, who, despite adversity, was still cheerful and honest. His movies were popular in large parts of South/Central/Southeast Asia, the former Soviet Union/Bloc, China, the Middle East, and Africa; his movies were global commercial successes.
A postage stamp, bearing his face, was released by India Post to honour him on 14 December 2001. To honour him, a brass statue of his was unveiled at Walk of the Stars at Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai in March 2012.
Many of Raj Kapoor's movies had a patriotic theme. His films Aag, Shree 420 and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (In the country where the Ganges flows) celebrated the newly independent India, and encouraged film-goers to be patriots. Raj Kapoor commissioned these famous lyrics for Mera Joota Hai Japani, a song from the movie Shree 420:
Mera joota hai Japani (My shoes are Japanese)
Ye patloon Inglistani (These trousers are English)
Sar pe lal topi Roosi (The red cap on my head is Russian)
Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani (But still, however, my heart is Indian)
The song is still extremely popular and has been featured in a number of movies since Shree 420 was released. Indian author Mahasweta Devi stopped the show with her inaugural speech at the 2006 Frankfurt Book Fair when she used these lyrics to express her own heartfelt patriotism and debt to her country.
Kapoor appeared in Box Office India's "Top Actors" list twelve times from 1949 to 1960.[36]
Apart from his success as an actor, Kapoor is also considered one of the most successful directors of Indian cinema, both critically and commercially.[118][119]
In 2014, Google commemorated his 90th birthday.[120]
Raj Kapoor was a canny judge of filmi music and lyrics. Many of the songs he commissioned are evergreen hits. He introduced the music directors Shankar–Jaikishan and the lyricists Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra. He is also remembered for his strong sense of visual style. He used striking visual compositions, elaborate sets, and dramatic lighting to complete the mood set by the music. He introduced the actresses Nimmi, Dimple Kapadia, and Mandakini, as well as launching and reviving the careers of his sons Rishi, Randhir and Rajiv. Famous for making his actresses reveal the body, not very common then in Indian cinema, it was said his 'show-womanship' matched his showmanship.[121]
The 1967 "Song about Yogis" (Russian: Песенка про йогов) by Vladimir Vysotsky mentions Raj Kapoor as one of the three best-known symbols of Indian culture in the Soviet Union, along with Shiva and yoga.[123]
In 2022, he was placed in Outlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list.[124]
In June 2011, Noah Cowan, artistic director of TIFF Bell Lightbox, and Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft along with members of the Kapoor family came together to pay tribute to the life and work of Indian actor, director, mogul and legend Raj Kapoor, as presented in partnership by TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA), and the Government of Ontario.[125] In 2011, it was announced that Kapoor will be inducted into the Brampton Walk of Fame in Ontario, Canada.[126]
From December 13 to 15, 2024, a special screening of Raj Kapoor's most famous films were held in 40 cities and 135 theaters across India for his 100th Birthday Anniversary celebration.[127]
Major associations
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas was a screenwriter and director for a number of Raj Kapoor's best films.[128]
Mukesh was Raj Kapoor's almost exclusive singing voice in almost all of his films. Also, when Mukesh died, Raj had said, Main ne apni aawaaz ko kho diya... (I have lost my voice...). However Manna Dey has also sung many notable and super-hit songs for Raj Kapoor, for instance in Shree 420 and Chori Chori. Examples of such Manna songs are best illustrated by the following list:
^Reliving the Geetmala lore.
S.K. Screen, Friday, 22 September 2000, transcript available online at "Ameen Sayani/Press Reviews". Archived from the original on 5 September 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2006., accessed online on 29 July 2006
^Gulzar; Nihalani, Govind; Chatterjee, Saibal (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. Encyclopædia Britannica (India) Pvt Ltd. p. 592. ISBN81-7991-066-0.
^Parmar, Prabhjot (5 August 2007). "Films and Partition: Trains of History". www.tribuneindia.com. The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
^"Raj Kapoor Crescent". Asian Image. Lancashire UK. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2011. The city will also like to induct Shri Raj Kapoor into the Brampton Hall of Fame, having a star placed there in his honour..
Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1994). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. London: British Film Institute; New Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-1-579-58146-6.
Kishore, Valicha (1988). The Moving Image: A study of Indian cinema. Hyderabad: Orient Longman. ISBN978-0-861-31681-6.
External links
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