Raj Kapoor remembered on his 19th death anniversary
(No Ratings Yet)A cross-section of the Indian entertainment industry today remembered showman Raj Kapoor on his 19th death anniversary.
Kapoor, who died at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on June 2, 1988 from renal failure, was remembered by members of his extended family. Prayers and relevant solemn functions were organised to mark the event.
Kapoor entered the film industry as a clapper boy in the late 1930s and went on to become an Indian silver screen icon.
Known as Showman of Hindi cinema, Kapoor was born on December 14, 1924, in Peshawar, Pakistan.
He started his acting career at the age of 11 with the film Inquilab and made it to the big league with his lead role in Neel Kamal in 1947.
At the age of 24 in 1948, Raj Kapoor established his own studio, RK Films, with his first directorial venture, ‘Aag’.
Raj Kapoor directed several films and acted in most of them.
He became immensely popular in Russia after ‘Awaara’ and ‘Shri 420′ as the movies achieved unprecedented success in that country.
Kapoor was the Indian version of American comic artist Charlie Chaplin. That image remained with him for over two decades.
Kapoor depicted the story of common man in his films and they appealed to every section of the society.
Music was the soul of Raj Kapoor’s films, and they became popular not only in India, but abroad too.
He won many awards during his career in Hindi movies. In 1985, his ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ won him the best movie and best director awards. He was nominated for the 1953 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Awaara’.
In 1971, he got the Padma Bhushan, and in 1987, he won the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his invaluable lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
At the time of his death, Kapoor was about to begin the making of the film ‘Heena’. The script was ready but he was not there to direct it. His son Randhir Kapoor took over the task, and the film, was a major hit with the masses.
— ANI
Leave a Reply