The story of Raj Kapoor, the showman of Hindi cinema, is unique. Along with his films, his personal life was also interesting. On his 100th birth anniversary, Frontpage Insights had a special conversation with senior journalist and film critic Dilip Thakur.
Dilip Thakur shares interesting facts related to Raj Kapoor's professional and personal life. Read some key excerpts from the conversation:
Raj Kapoor's wife left home with all three sons When 'Sangam' was released in 1964, there were reports that Raj Kapoor and the film's heroine Vyjayanthimala were having an affair. Raj Kapoor's wife Krishna Kapoor was furious and stayed with her three sons at the Nataraj Hotel on Marine Drive. There were words on everyone's lips. Eventually Raj Kapoor met Krishna Kapoor and settled the matter. But the controversy continued for a long time and the popularity of the film 'Sangam' grew.
After 'Mera Naam Joker' flopped, Raj Kapoor went into depression The film flopped and he suffered a financial loss in the initial days. Raj Kapoor's ambition was to make a film that would impress people. The budget was not discussed at that time, but the budget of the film was clearly visible. It was natural to go into depression.
Filmmakers of that time were more emotional and made films with heart rather than money. After the flop of 'Mera Naam Joker', he came up with the idea of 'Bobby' and focused more on the character. 'Bobby' proved to be a fresh film.
Did 'Mera Naam Joker' flop or did it flop? When Mera Naam Joker came out in 1970, it was a two-interval film. The film released, but people started criticizing it from day one. The film is too long, Raj Kapoor has gone mad; Such things started happening. There was also a debate about whether the film actually flopped or flopped.
From the second week the length of the film was reduced and a 170 minute interval film was released. The film received buzz, then repeated matinee shows and the film gradually became popular. A few years later, the 11 am show of the film also started and the film started to become popular in cinemas.
The poster of 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili' caused controversy When the promotion of 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili' started, three posters caught the attention of media and audience. In the first poster, the actress posed under a waterfall in Mandakini's white saree, which drew attention for its bold silhouette. Another poster showed Mandakini breastfeeding a baby, which was considered very controversial at the time. The third poster featured Raj Kapoor and Mandakini's liplock scene, which created a sensation. These posters fueled both curiosity and controversy about the film.
There was a lot of debate on these three posters, as the film was from 1985 and the thinking of the audience at that time was not as advanced as today's generation. People started wondering whether a film like 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' would have clear content. Due to which a controversy was created regarding the film.
Raj Kapoor's statement came a week before the film's release, in which he clarified that there is no such thing in the film. The story of the film is about an ordinary woman, who lives in a village and faces hardships and lives a simple life. This statement and accompanying photo raised people's curiosity. The truth about the film was brought to the public.
When Raj Kapoor danced on the road In 1983, the Indian cricket team won the World Cup by defeating the West Indies. The match was played at Lord's in England and the entire city of Mumbai was engulfed in a celebratory atmosphere after 11 pm. People came out of the houses dancing and singing.
Meanwhile, Raj Kapoor was going home from the party. He saw that the Indian cricket team had won the World Cup and the whole city was celebrating. He got out of his car and danced for a while. Raj Kapoor also joined the people in this celebration.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
