Mumbai, Dec 14 (PTI) From Amol Palekar, Sharmila Tagore, and Madhuri Dixit Nene to Divyenndu, actors across generations honour the "visionary" filmmaker-actor Raj Kapoor, celebrating his enduring legacy on his 100th birth anniversary.
December 14, 2024, marks the birth centenary of Raj Kapoor, the legendary actor, director, and producer who made classics like "Awara", "Barsaat", "Shree 420", "Sangam" and "Mera Naam Joker" during his illustrious 40-year career. He died in 1988.
Palekar, who played middle-class protagonists in parallel cinema in contrast to Raj Kapoor's grand and larger-than-life narratives, said he admires the actor-filmmaker's work in the initial phase of his career.
“We met only once, very briefly, but beyond that, never. But I particularly admire the early phase of Raj Kapoor. He, in a different way, portrayed a common man, a man who fumbles and makes mistakes.
"His early films were what is looked down upon today as left-oriented thinking... All those films are coming from a common man, an oppressed man making criticism, making comments about the system. So, that was Raj Kapoor,” the 80-year-old actor told PTI.
Tagore credited Raj Kapoor, and Dilip Kumar, who passed away at the age of 98 in 2021, for making "acting such a wonderful profession".
"They have all contributed to cinema, starting with Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. We all owe so much to our legends. All the films of Raj Kapoor have been restored and they are releasing in theatres. I hope people will see it.
"'Shree 420' is so contemporary, even now. It speaks to us. I'm glad there is so much interest in the old films and it makes me very happy," the 80-year-old actor told PTI.
Raj Kapoor’s cinematic legacy is being celebrated on the big screen with PVR INOX Limited and the Film Heritage Foundation organising the RK Film Festival, beginning from Friday.
The three-day retrospective is showcasing ten films by Raj Kapoor, including “Aag,” “Barsaat,” “Awaara,” “Shree 420,” “Jagte Raho,” “Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai,” “Sangam,” “Mera Naam Joker,” "Bobby", and “Ram Teri Ganga Maili”.
Dixit Nene described Kapoor as a “passionate visionary” who was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to create great cinema.
“Raj ji was such a passionate filmmaker. I’ve heard that he would even put his house on a mortgage or sell his house to create a set or do whatever he could to make a beautiful movie.
"The amount of successful films he has made and the way their family has contributed to this industry is amazing,” the actor told PTI.
The 57-year-old actor worked with Raj Kapoor’s second son Rishi Kapoor on three films -- “Sahibaan”, “Yaraana”, and “Prem Granth” -- and also featured in a song with his grandson Ranbir Kapoor in “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”.
“I’ve never met Raj ji. I’ve seen him once from far away at a Filmfare award function,” Dixit said.
For Vidya Balan, the exposure to Raj Kapoor’s films was through reruns of his movies on Doordarshan.
“I didn’t know who he was. I had seen a lot of his films at that time. On Doordarshan, they had done a rerun of all his films, and my father would sit and watch it, and then I would watch it with him.
"That’s how I got exposed to Raj Kapoor. I fell in love with him, that face of innocence,” Balan, 45, told PTI.
Actor Vivek Oberoi was introduced to Raj Kapoor’s films by his father, Suresh Oberoi.
"(It) was mainly sitting with my dad and watching black and white movies on VCR, we used to put those tapes and watch Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, and Dilip Kumar’s movies. This is a trio of actors whose films my dad would tell me to watch,” Oberoi told PTI.
The 48-year-old actor shared a moment from his childhood when he briefly met Raj Kapoor to seek his blessings.
“It was very brief, just to take his blessings, as a kid. He is a legend,” he said.
“I remember going to Moscow and it’s been so many decades since ‘Awara’ was released, it came in the 50s or 60s, and people still remember the songs and the name of the movie and that’s the power of his films," he added.
“Mirzapur” fame star Divyenndu said Kapoor is the “auteur of Indian cinema.”
“Raj Kapoor sahab is such a legend. He was the auteur of Indian cinema. The best thing is because of social media you get old clippings where you see him attending a music session, where Lata ji is singing a song, he is listening, and giving his suggestion, you realise that it (cinema) is not just passion but there was so much knowledge of filmmaking that these guys had,” the 41-year-old actor told PTI.
On social media, veteran actor Dharmendra posted an old photo with Raj Kapoor.
"Dear Raj Saheb, Happy Birthday to you .we miss you ! You will always be remembered with great love and respect," the 89-year-old veteran posted on Instagram.
Anil Kapoor, 67, said Raj Kapoor's birthday is not just special for him but for "the entire Indian film fraternity".
"Raj uncle's work inspired me deeply—his aura, artistry, and vision were unmatched then and remain unmatched now. On his 100th birthday, I fondly remember his timeless films, RK Studios moments the moments spent at Deonar his residence and the incredible legacy he built.
"Happy 100th birthday to the ‘Greatest Showman,’ Raj Kapoor. Your magic will forever awe me," he wrote on Instagram.