Raj Kapoor@100: Directors Anees Bazmee, Imtiaz Ali, Hansal Mehta remember showman of Hindi cinema

Mumbai, Dec 15 (PTI) A passionate filmmaker who effectively translated the realities of life on screen without compromising on the entertainment quotient of his films is how the current crop of directors in Hindi cinema describe Raj Kapoor, who would have turned 100 on December 14.

Raj Kapoor, son of film and theatre veteran Prithviraj Kapoor, was an actor, an editor, a director and a producer who founded RK Studios in 1948.

In his career spanning four decades, he directed only 10 films, starting with “Aag”, “Barsaat”, “Awara”, “Shree 420”, “Sangam”, “Mera Naam Joker”, “Bobby”, “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, “Prem Rog”, and “Ram Teri Ganga Maili”.

“Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” director Anees Bazmee, who worked as a sixth assistant to Raj Kapoor on 1982’s “Prem Rog”, said he is proud to have studied filmmaking at what he calls the ‘Raj Kapoor University’.

“He made films that were ahead of their time. He understood the harsh realities of life which he beautifully brought on screen and that resonated with people.

“He is among those directors whose films will never get old rather they will age with time. He was a complete director, a genius. I’ve learnt how to make a film with that kind of junoon (passion) from him,” Bazmee told PTI.

Hansal Mehta, known for acclaimed social dramas such as “Shahid” and “Aligarh”, said he was fascinated with Raj Kapoor’s cinema after he watched his films on Doordarshan in the early 1980s.

“He is among the generation of filmmakers who have had a lasting influence, particularly on Hindi cinema. No filmmaker can say that s/he is untouched by Raj Kapoor’s cinema,” Mehta told PTI.

What set Kapoor apart from others, the director said, was his ability to inject social context in his films.

“He was an influential filmmaker. Unfortunately, (people) never got the social relevance of his films, they only got the showman aspect of it. The music, dance, and larger-than-life elements of his films, they usually caught on to that.

“The socioeconomic reality that he portrayed within the mainstream was most striking like the divide between rich and poor, untouchability, etc. What you learn from filmmakers like Raj Kapoor and Bimal Roy, is that you have to find your voice and a way of reflecting social reality while telling an entertaining story,” Mehta added.

Veteran actor-director Rakesh Roshan said Raj Kapoor’s “Shree 420” has had a lasting impact on him.

“I’ve seen ‘Shree 420’ at least 500 times. Whenever I start a new film, I see ‘Shree 420’ because it keeps inspiring me. It was a complete film and way ahead of time. He was one director who would put his heart and soul into his movies,” Roshan told PTI.

It would be impossible to find anybody who has made Indian cinema as powerful as Raj Kapoor has, said Imtiaz Ali, adding he would have been a better director had he got a chance to be “a fly on the wall” on the cinema icon’s set.

“Everybody who is a director, filmmaker or actor in the Indian film industry, now and forever, will always be inspired by Raj Kapoor. There was an indomitable spirit of this gentleman; his love for men, women, society, bad people, good people, good times and bad times, that will always remain as a part of the ethos of the country,” Ali told PTI.

According to Shekhar Kapur, Raj Kapoor was the first filmmaker from India who opened the global market for the country’s cinema.

“Raj Kapoor’s ‘Awara’ is still the best-selling film outside India. He’s the one who actually took the films outside India to Romania, Russia, and the Middle East. He was a pioneer in that sense. When I watched ‘Awara’, I realised how relevant he was,” Kapur told PTI.

Director Nikkhil Advani, who worked with Raj Kapoor’s second son Rishi Kapoor in “D-Day”, said he developed a bond with the showman through the veteran actor’s stories about his father’s filmmaking process.

“Makers often get scared of feedback and showing the film to people who worked on the film but Raj Kapoor was not like them. Once he shot a scene, song or film, he would show it to the staff of RK Studios, ask them basic questions and get their feedback,” Advani told PTI.

Be it “Awaara Hoon”, “Pyaar Hua Ikrar Hua Hai”, “Mera Joota Hai Japani” or “Main Kya Karoon Ram”, songs were an integral part of his movies.

“‘Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate’ and ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’ (from ‘Bobby’) were such great numbers. He had a great relationship with his music directors and lyricists. What stood out was how his narrative moved forward through a song,” Advani added.

Shakun Batra, known for films like “Kapoor & Sons” and “Gehraiyaan”, said Raj Kapoor’s cinema has had a “tremendous” impact on him.

“He was always pushing the boundaries with his progressive storytelling. He has contributed to where the cinema stands today, whether it’s story, characters, music, and also in terms of taking cinema internationally. He was a man with insane vision and we need visionaries like him today,” Batra told PTI.

As someone who used to imitate Raj Kapoor’s acting style in childhood, veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai said his life came full circle when he got the opportunity to meet his idol.

“I still remember that once he called me at home. I was surprised. He said, ‘I took your number from (composer duo) Laxmikant-Pyarelal and I liked your song ‘Ek Ritu Aaye Ek Ritu Jaye’ in ‘Gautam Govinda’… I can tell you that you will go very far’. 

“That was a big day for me. That was my second film. Later, he watched my films ‘Hero’ and ‘Karz’ (starring Rishi Kapoor) too. We became like family members,” Ghai told PTI.