Raj Kapoor’s 89th birthday

Zee Media Bureau/ Aparna Mudi

New Delhi: Raj Kapoor is known as the ‘Showman’ of Bollywood. On Saturday 14th December the industry celebrates his 89th birthday. He was a noted Indian film actor, producer and director and also the winner of two National Film Awards and nine Filmfare Awards. Actor Prithvi Raj Kapoor and Ramsarni Devi Kapoor had six children, among who Raj Kapoor was the eldest. In 1935 Raj Kapoor featured in his first movie ‘Inquilab’at the age of 11. And as they say the rest is history. At just the age of twenty-four, Raj Kapoor established his own studio, R. K. Films and became the youngest director with ‘Aag’ starring himself and Nargis. In the next decade Raj Sahab established RK Films with movies like ‘Barsaat’, ‘Awaara’, ‘Shree 420’, ‘Chori Chori’, and ‘Jagte Raho’. His most ambitious project was ‘Mera Naam Joker’ which took six years to make but did not do too well at the Box Office. It is said the failure of the movie broke Raj Kapoor’s heart and he never quite recovered from the disappointment. However the movie is now considered a classic and most people quote ‘Jeena Yahan... marna yahan’ to compare life in the show business in India. Kapoor family is the oldest and probably the most respected families in Bollywood, with 4 generations working in the industry. Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor (grand children of Raj Kapoor) are one of the top actors today. Recently Time magazine included Raj Kapoor`s 1951 classic ‘Awaara’ among 20 new entries added to its All-Time 100 list of the greatest films made since 1923. Time critic Richard Corliss described Raj Kapoor as “the great star-auteur of India`s postcolonial golden age of movies - Cary Grant and Cecil B. DeMille in one handsome package." Raj Kapoor established Bollywood on the international map. His image always lives on in every Bollywood buffs mind! A very Happy Birthday Raj Sahab...