Raj Kapoor: The Showman of Indian Cinema
Raj Kapoor (14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), was a Hindi film actor, producer, and director. He is also highly popular in India, the Middle East, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China.
Life and Career
He was born on 14 December 1924, in India. His parents were Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Devi Kapoor. In later years, they moved to Mumbai to get an education. As Prithviraj needed to move from city to city for his career in the 1930s, the Kapoor family moved around a lot. He went to several schools like Colonel Brown Cambridge School in Dera Doon, St Xavier’s Collegiate School in Calcutta, and Campion School in Mumbai.
The first Hindi film he appeared in was 1935’s Inquilab, at age ten. In 1947, He played a major lead role for the first time in Neel Kamal opposite Madhubala. At the age of 24, he started R.K. Films in the late 1940s, and he also produced and starred in ‘Aag‘, his directorial debut. His first major success as an actor came when he co-starred with Dilip Kumar and Nargis in Mehboob Khan’s Andaz. He had his first success that year with Barsaat, which he produced, directed, and starred in.
After that, he produced and starred in several hit films under his R. K. Banner, including Awaara (1951), Aah (1953), Shree 420 (1955), Jagte Raho (1956), and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960), which won the Filmfare Award for Best Film. The other notable films he acted in as a leading actor were Dastan (1950), Anhonee (1952), Chori Chori (1956), Anari (1959), Do Ustad (1959), Chhalia (1960) and Dil Hi To Hai (1963). Also, he produced Boot Polish (1954) and Ab Dilli Door Nahin (1957).
His first colour film was the romantic musical Sangam, which he produced, directed, and starred in 1964 with Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayantimala. In 1970, he produced, directed, and starred in Mera Naam Joker, a film that took more than six years to complete.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he only appeared in a few films, but he played a notable supporting role in Naukri (1978) with Rajesh Khanna and the title role in Abdullah (1980) with Sanjay Khan. His last major film role was in Vakil Babu (1982), with his younger brother Shashi. In 1984, he appeared in the British made-for-television film Kim in a cameo role. He died on 2 June 1988, in New Delhi, India.
Awards and Achievements
He was a jury member at the 4th and the 11th Moscow International Film Festivals in 1965 and in 1979. In 1971, he received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India. In 1987, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award by the Government of India. He received many awards throughout his career, including 3 National Film Awards, 11 Filmfare Awards, and 21 nominations.
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