Raj Kapoor: The Showman of Indian Cinema

1.1 Why is he called the Greatest Showman?

Raj Kapoor was an Indian actor, director and producer. He founded the studio RK Films in 1948. People call him the Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema.

He was born on 14 December 1924 in Peshawar, which is now in Pakistan.

1.2 What was his birth name?

He was born Srishti Nath Kapoor. He later took the name Ranbir Raj Kapoor.

His parents were Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Kapoor. Prithviraj was a stage and film actor.

1.3 How did he start?

He first appeared on screen as a child in Inquilab (1935). Later he assisted the director Kidar Sharma at Bombay Talkies. He also worked as an art director at his father’s Prithvi Theatre.

2.1 What was RK Films?

RK Films was his own film studio. He founded it in 1948, at about age 24. Its first film was Aag (1948), his debut as director.

A debut is a first attempt, in this case as a director.

2.2 Where does the RK logo come from?

The studio’s first big hit was Barsaat (1949). A still from that film became the RK logo. It shows Kapoor holding the actress Nargis in his arms.

A logo is a studio’s own sign. This one has stayed famous for decades.

3.1 Whom did he copy?

His best-known screen character echoed Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp. Chaplin’s tramp was a poor but honest man in a shabby suit and hat.

A persona is the public character an actor plays again and again.

3.2 Which films made the pair famous?

Raj Kapoor and Nargis became one of Bollywood’s best-known screen pairs. Their films include Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955) and Jagte Raho (1956).

“Shree 420” refers to Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. That section deals with cheating.

3.3 Was Nargis in every big hit?

No. Sangam (1964) was the biggest RK Films hit. Nargis was absent from it. Vyjayanthimala starred in it instead.

4.1 Where was he popular?

His films were loved in the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia. He was as big a star in the Soviet Union as he was at home.

Soviet means from the old USSR, which included Russia.

4.2 How big was Awaara in Russia?

One source says Awaara sold about 64 million tickets in the Soviet Union. That made it the third-most-watched foreign film there.

Treat the number as an estimate. No audited figure is available.

4.3 Which Kapoor films reached Cannes?

Awaara was nominated for the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953.

Boot Polish competed there in 1955. Jagte Raho won the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary in 1957.

5.1 Which honours did he win?

• Padma Bhushan in 1971. The Gazette lists him as “Film Actor, Maharashtra”.
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 1987, the 35th. The ceremony was in May 1988.
• National Film Award for Shree 420 in 1955.
• Filmfare Awards: 11 in all.

5.2 Why do the years differ?

The official list files his Phalke Award under 1987. The ceremony was held in May 1988. So some books say 1987 and some say 1988.

The Phalke Award is a prestigious award. The Government of India gives it.

5.3 Did his father win it too?

Yes. His father, Prithviraj Kapoor, won the 19th Phalke Award, for 1971.

6.1 What happened in May 1988?

He was ill with asthma. He still travelled to Delhi for the Phalke Award. The ceremony was at Siri Fort Auditorium, with President R. Venkataraman.

On 2 May 1988 he collapsed with an acute asthma attack at the ceremony.

6.2 When did he die?

He was taken to AIIMS, New Delhi. He stayed there for about a month. He died on 2 June 1988, aged 63, from complications of asthma.

AIIMS is the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

7.1 Who carried on the family name?

His sons were Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv Kapoor. Randhir and Rishi became actors. Rishi’s career was long and well regarded.

His ambitious film, Mera Naam Joker (1970), flopped at first. It later gained a cult following.

Bobby (1973) starred Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia. His brother Shashi Kapoor starred in Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978).

7.2 How was his centenary marked?

The Prime Minister called him a “cultural ambassador” on his 100th birth anniversary, 14 December 2024. A ten-film retrospective ran from 13 to 19 December 2024. It covered 40 cities and 135 cinemas.

8.1 Which facts do students mix up?

• Padma Bhushan 1971. Phalke Award for 1987, presented in 1988.
• Awaara was nominated at Cannes in 1953.
• Boot Polish, not Awaara, was the 1955 Cannes entry.
• Jagte Raho won the Crystal Globe in 1957.
• Nargis is absent from Sangam. Vyjayanthimala is the heroine.
• Father and son both won the Phalke Award: Prithviraj (1971) and Raj (1987).