Raj Kapoor

 

Born on: December 14, 1924

Born in: Peshawar (now in Pakistan)

Nationality: Indian

Career: Actor, Producer, Director

Death: June 2, 1988

 

Raj Kapoor was one of the most noted Bollywood filmmakers of the yesteryears and is remembered for his all-time classics till date. Much before he entered the arena of direction, Kapoor had established himself as a talented actor. Apart from that, he also indulged in production and gave the industry a number of hit films. One of the most prominent members of the famous ‘Kapoor’ family of Bollywood, he continues to be held in the highest esteem by filmmakers of not only India, rather across the world. 

 

Raj Kapoor was born as ‘Ranbir Raj Kapoor’ on 14^th December 1924, in Peshawar, in the North West Frontier Province, (of what is now) Pakistan. He was the eldest of the four children of prominent stage and cinema actor Prithviraj Kapoor and his wife Smt. Ramsarni (Rama) Devi. He was the grandson of Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor and great-grandson of Dewan Keshavmal Kapoor. Raj Kapoor had three siblings, two brothers - Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, and one sister - Urmila Sial.

 

Raj Kapoor got married to Krishna Malhotra, in a traditional family-arranged wedding, in 1946, when he was hardly 22 years old. Krishna, a distant relative of Raj, was the sister of actors Prem Nath and Rajinder Nath. The couple had a son around a year after their wedding, in 1947, and he was named Randhir Kapoor. They had their second child, a daughter - Ritu Kapoor, the following year. Four years later, in 1952, Rishi Kapoor was born. Raj and Krishna had two more children - daughter Reema Kapoor in 1956 and son Rajiv Kapoor in 1962. Raj Kapoor is rumored to have had a romantic relationship with actress Nargis.

 

Raj Kapoor started his career in the film industry as a clapper boy, assisting Kidar Sharma. He made his debut as an actor in 1935 film ‘Inquilab’, at the tender age of eleven years. He continued coming in Bollywood movies for the next twelve years, none of them being a major one. It was in 1947 that Kapoor receive the first ‘big break’ of his career, when his movie Neel Kamal was released. In the movie, he was cast opposite the beautiful, and much talented, Madhubala. The following year, he set up his own studio, R. K. Films.

 

R.K. Films made Kapoor the youngest film director of his time, hardly 24 years old. His debut movie, as a director and producer, was ‘Aag’, which hit the theaters in 1948. It was his first movie with Nargis and failed to do well at the box office. The following year, he again paired with Nargis, in Mehboob Khan's ‘Andaz’, which went on to become his first major success as an actor. Amongst the most notable films of his career are Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Chori Chori (1956) and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960).

 

The year 1960 saw Raj Kapoor making ‘Sangam’ (which he produced, directed and starred in), the first color film of his career. The movie was also his last major success as an actor. A couple of years later, he started making ‘Mera Naam Joker’, a film that took around six years to complete. It was released in 1970 and bombed at the box office. However, in the later years, the movie was regarded as one of the finest films ever made in Bollywood. In 1971, he was seen in ‘Kal Aaj Aur Kal’, which also had Randhir Kapoor, Prithviraj Kapoor and Babita.

 

Starting from ‘Kal Aaj Aur Kal’, Kapoor shifted to roles as a character actor and focused on producing and directing films. In 1973, he produced and directed ‘Bobby’, through which he also launched his second eldest son Rishi Kapoor. The film was a huge success and served as the perfect start for not only Rishi Kapoor, but also Dimple Kapadia. The rest of 1970s and early 1980s saw him delivering successful films like ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ (1978), ‘Prem Rog’ (1982) and ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ (1985).

 

The last film of Raj Kapoor, in which he made an appearance, was ‘Vakil Babu’ (1982). Two years later, he was seen in a cameo appearance, in a British made-for-television film ‘Kim’. In the later years of his life, Kapoor suffered from asthma. It was asthma-related complications only that took away his life, enabling him to leave for the holy abode, in 1988. During his last days, he was working on the movie ‘Henna’. The movie was completed, after his death, by Randhir Kapoor and released in 1991. It went on to become a huge box-office hit.

 

 

1985 - Best Movie for Ram Teri Ganga Maili

1985 - Best Director for Ram Teri Ganga Maili

1982 - Best Movie for Prem Rog

1982 - Best Director for Prem Rog

1970 - Best Director for Mera Naam Joker

1964 - Best Director for Sangam

1964 - Best Movie for Sangam

1960 - Best Actor for Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai

1959 - Best Actor for Anari

 

1964 - Best Director for Sangam

1964 - Best Editor for Sangam 

1967 - WBest Actor for Teesri Kasam

1971 - Best Actor for Mera Naam Joker

1971 - Best Director Mera Naam Joker

 

 

1955 - Conferred with an honorary degree in Tehran

1971 - Honored with Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, by Government of India

1987 - Awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award for cinematic excellence

2000 - Raj Kapoor Film Festival held at the Cultural Centre of Russia

2001 - Honored with "Best Director of the Millennium" award by Hero Honda-Stardust

2002 - 55th Cannes International Film Festival comprised a Raj Kapoor Retrospective, Named "Showman of the Millennium" by Star Screen Awards

2007 - Conferred with a "Special Award" by Star Screen Awards

2008 - Raj Kapoor film festival held in The Netherlands city The Hague, Raj Kapoor film festival held in the Omani capital Muscat

Also Conferred with a "National Award" for cinematography, for contribution to Indian cinema

 

 

1935 - Inquilab  

1943 - Hamari Baat, Gauri  

1946 - Valmiki  

1947 - Jail Yatra, Dil-Ki-Rani, Chittor Vijay, Neel Kamal

1948 - Gopinath, Amar Prem, Aag

1949 - Sunehre Din, Parivartan, Andaz, Barsaat

1950 - Sargam, Pyaar, Jan Pahchan, Dastan, Bawre Nain, Banwra  

1951 - Awaara

1952 - Bewafa, Ashiana, Anhonee, Amber

1953 - Paapi, Dhoon, Aah

1954 - Boot Polish (uncredited)

1955 - Shree 420

1956 - Jagte Raho, Chori Chori

1957 - Sharada

1958 - Phil Subha Hogi, Parvarish

1959 - Main Nashe Men Hoon, Kanhaiya, Do Ustad, Char Dil Char Raahein, Anari

1960 - Shriman Satyawadi, Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai, Chhalia

1961 - Nazrana

1962 - Aashiq  

1963 - Ek Dil Sao Afsane, Dil Hi To Hai

1964 – Sangam, Dulha Dulhan

1966 - Teesri Kasam

1967 - Diwana, Around the World

1968 - Sapnon Ka Saudagar

1970 - Mera Naam Joker

1971 - Kal Aaj Aur Kal

1973 - Mera Desh Mera Dharam  

1975 - Do Jasoos, Dharam Karam

1976 - Khan Dost

1977 - Chandi Sona

1978 - Satyam Shivam Sundaram (voice)

1978 - Naukri

1980 - Abdullah

1982 - Gopichand Jasoos, Vakil Babu

1984 - Kim

 

1948 - Aag 

1949 - Barsaat 

1951 - Awaara 

1955 - Shree 420 

1964 - Sangam

1970 - Mera Naam Joker

1973 - Bobby

1978 - Satyam Shivam Sundaram

1982 - Prem Rog

1985 - Ram Teri Ganga Maili

 

1948 - Aag

1949 - Barsaat

1951 - Awaara

1953 - Aah

1954 - Boot Polish

1955 - Shree 420

1956 - Jagte Raho

1957 - Ab Dilli Dur Nahin

1960 - Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai

1964 - Sangam

1970 - Mera Naam Joker

1971 - Kal Aaj Aur Kal

1973 - Bobby

1975 - Dharam Karam

1978 - Satyam Shivam Sundaram

1981 - Biwi O Biwi

1982 - Prem Rog