Today marks the 34th birthday of Raj Kapoor, dubbed the “showman of Bollywood.” Raj Kapoor was the eldest of Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarani Mehra’s six children. Raj was born into a film family, and acting was in his blood. Raj Kapoor made his film debut at the age of 10 in Inquilab, and his first lead role was in 1947’s Neel Kamal.
Raj Kapoor, at the age of 24, set a great example by establishing RK Studio. He was once the youngest director of his generation.
Raj Kapoor won many big awards in his film career, including three National Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards. Still, his health never improved even after receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the most prestigious award in the film world. Raj put all of his savings into getting his children a job in the industry. Many times wasted, but never gave up.
Raj Kapoor Biography
| Real Name | Ranbir Raj Kapoor |
| Nickname | Showman of Bollywood |
| Profession | Actor, Producer and Director |
| Height (approx.) | Centimeters– 170 cm Meters– 1.7 m Feet inches– 5’ 7” |
| Weight (approx.) | Kilograms– 85 kg Pounds– 187 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Hazel |
| Hair Colour | Grey |
| Date of Birth | 14 December 1924 |
| Date of Death | 2 June 1988 |
| Place of Death | New Delhi, India |
| Age (at the time of death) | 63 Years |
| Death Cause | Cardiac Arrest (after suffering from Asthma) |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Peshawar (Pakistan) |
| School | St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Kolkata Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun |
| Educational Qualification | 6th Fail |
| Debut | Film: Inquilab (1935) (Child Actor) |
| Family | Father– Prithviraj Kapoor (1906-1972) Mother– Ramsarni Devi Kapoor (1908-1972) Brothers– Shammi Kapoor (1931-2011) Shashi Kapoor (1938-2017) Nandi Kapoor (Died:1931) Devi Kapoor (Died: 1931) Sister– Urmila Sial Kapoor |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Favourite Food | Biryani, Chicken Curry, Pao, Eggs, Moori (puffed rice) with Peanuts, Small Samosas, Caramel Custard |
| Favourite Actor | Dilip Kumar |
| Favourite Actress | Nargis |
| Favourite Film | Mera Naam Joker |
| Favourite Drink | Johnny Walker Black Label Whisky |
| Favourite Musician | Shankar, Jaikishan |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Nargis Dutt Vyjayanthimala (Hindi movie actress and dancer) Padmini (Hindi movie actress and Bharathanatyam dancer) |
| Wife | Krishna Kapoor |
| Marriage Date | May 1946 |
| Children | Sons– Randhir Kapoor Rishi Kapoor Rajiv Kapoor Daughters– Ritu Nanda (married to industrialist Rajan Nanda) Rima Jain (married to investment banker Manoj Jain) |
Raj Kapoor’s Childhood
Raj Kapoor was born on December 14, 1924, in Peshawar, Pakistan, following the partition of India and Pakistan. He was born Srishti Nath Kapoor, the first child of Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarani Mehra. When Prithviraj arrived in Bombay (Mumbai) to become a hero, he was accompanied by his entire family.
Raj Kapoor used to accompany his father on film sets. Raj Kapoor was cast as a child in the film Inquilab. Raj Kapoor began doing small jobs on the sets as soon as he grew up after becoming a child artist.
At his father’s request, Raj Kapoor began working as a clapboy for director Kedar Sharma. On set, Raj spent the majority of his time grooming his hair, which was visible in the scene as he clapped. On the sets of Vishkanya, Raj clapped so close that the actor’s beard became stuck in the clapboard.
The director became enraged and slapped him hard. Raj did not respond and went to work quietly. Kedar was so upset by this that he called Raj the next day and made him a hero in the form of Neel Kamal.
Debut
He began crying bitterly as soon as Kedar Sharma offered him the role of a hero in the film. Kedar Sharma inquired, “Hey, I slapped you yesterday; why are you crying today?” Raj stated, “I am crying because I have been made a hero for the first time.”
In the film Neelkamal, Madhubala co-starred with Raj. The film was a huge success, and Raj Kapoor received recognition. Raj used to impersonate Charlie Chaplin. His style became so popular in India that he was dubbed the “Charlie Chaplin of India.”
RK Studio
Raj Kapoor founded RK Studios only a year after the release of his first film, Neelkamal. He was the era’s youngest director, making his directorial debut with Aag (1948), which did not fare well at the box office.
Marriage
Raj Kapoor married the daughter of Rewa’s IG Kartar Nath on May 12, 1946. Prithviraj Kapoor had actually travelled to Rewa with his sons to play. Kartar Nath is now in charge of his security. Their friendship grew so strong while they were living together that they married their children, Raj and Krishna, right away.
They had five children: Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, Ritu Kapoor, and Reema Kapoor.
Extramarital affair and disagreement with Nargis
Raj Kapoor and Nargis appeared in 16 films, including Barsaat, Andaz, Awara, and Shree 420. Both used to travel the world for promotional purposes. The two were becoming increasingly close. Nargis desired to marry Raj, but Raj refused to leave his wife Krishna.
They both decided to take a vacation one day. Nargis arrived, but Raj did not. When Nargis arrived at Raj’s house in a rage, she discovered a party in progress. While looking for Raj, Nargis noticed Raj wearing a necklace to his wife as soon as he entered his bedroom.
When Nargis saw this, he broke down and went home. Nargis was the same person who sold her gold rings to save RK Studio.
Mera Naam Joker
Raj spent all of his money on the film Mera Naam Joker. Because the film took six years to complete, the budget had to be much higher than the fixed amount. Raj Kapoor mortgaged his house and borrowed money from others to finish the film. When it was released, the film was a flop. This four-hour film had two intermissions. Raj was deeply in debt, which shocked him.
Bobby
Debt-ridden Raj Kapoor borrowed from Mera Naam Joker once more when he created Bobby with his sons Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia. Raj didn’t have any money, so Pran Nath only charged Re 1 for the film. The film was hugely successful, and Raj Kapoor’s career was restored.
Raj Kapoor was supposed to travel to the Indo-Pak border to film Bobby, but he was prevented. Raj told the soldiers to inform the commander that Raj Kapoor had arrived.
When the commander arrived, he greeted Raj and arranged for trains and breakfast. When it was time to leave, the Indian soldiers said, “Wait a minute, some Pakistani soldiers are coming to meet you.” Pakistani soldiers arrived in two vehicles, bringing jalebis and sweets from Pakistan.
Fight with distributor
Raj Kapoor’s films were previously distributed by Babu. When Bobby was hit, Babu did not give money to Raj Kapoor, so Raj Kapoor arrived at his house late at night in a rage. Babu emerged from the lungi when the name was called loudly outside the house. Neighbours gathered as well to witness this spectacle. Raj inquired, “Where is my money?” I have the answer – it’s safe with me. Raj asked once more, “Why do you have it? Why don’t you have it?” What gives you the right to keep it? When Babu mentioned giving money the next day, Raj removed his lungi and said, “Bring money tomorrow, and take your lungi.”
Habits
Nobody can deny Raj Kapoor’s passion for food. They used to eat jalebi and butter in the pav and have feasted on the set from time to time. Raj Kapoor was also upset with his assistant, Rahul Rawail, for not including non-vegetarian dishes in the wedding. However, when it came to final film editing, he was a strict vegetarian who never touched alcohol.
Ram Teri Ganga Maili
Raj Kapoor got into the road one day while leaving Rahul Rawail’s house to play with the dogs. The driver was sent home. When Rahul discovered this, he went out to find Raj Kapoor. At around 3 a.m., Raj stood at the bus stop, waiting for the bus.
Raj became enraged and drove Rahul away when he insisted on sitting in the car. After some time, Rahul returned and discovered that Raj Sahab was no longer present. When the vehicle approached the house, he noticed Raj Kapoor in the front seat of a taxi, his hand on the shoulders of the driver and a passenger.
He was humming a song at the time. Sun Sahiba Sun Pyar Ki Dhun were the lyrics. After 11 years, Raj Kapoor used the same song in his film Ram Teri Ganga Maili.
Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Raj Kapoor wrote the film Satyam Shivam Sundaram during the production of Vakil Babu. During filming, Raj frequently mentioned the film and its heroine, Roopa, to actress Zeenat Aman. Zeenat was so taken with Roopa’s character that she agreed to direct the movie.
Zeenat arrived at Raj Kapoor’s tent one day wearing a sari similar to Roopa’s and burning her face with tissue paper. Raj Kapoor was not recognised.
He asked who was there and then received the answer – Roopa. Raj was so taken with his appearance that he immediately called his wife Krishna and said, “Look what this girl has done.” Krishna arrived at the set with gold coins after listening to Raj, and Raj gave those coins to Zeenat.
Raj Kapoor Complete Filmography (As Actor)
| Year | Movie Title | Director | Producer | Budget (INR, Approx.) | Box Office Collection (INR, Approx.) | Opposite Actor/Actress | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Inquilab | Debaki Bose | New Theatres | 2 lakh (est.) | 10 lakh (moderate) | Durga Khote | Child debut at 10; minor role |
| 1943 | Hamari Baat | M.I. Dharamsey | Famous Pictures | 5 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (moderate) | Suraiya | Early supporting role |
| 1946 | Valmiki | Bhalji Pendharkar | Prithvi Pictures | 5 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (hit) | Shantaram Rajaram | Mythological drama |
| 1947 | Neel Kamal | Kidar Sharma | Kidar Sharma | 8 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (superhit) | Madhubala | Lead debut; top grosser of 1947 |
| 1947 | Chittor Vijay | Mohan Sinha | Murari Pictures | 5 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (moderate) | Surendra | Historical drama |
| 1947 | Dil Ki Rani | Mohan Sinha | Murari Pictures | 5 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (hit) | Madhubala | Romantic drama |
| 1947 | Jail Yatra | Gajanan Jagirdar | Ranjit Movietone | 5 lakh (est.) | 10 lakh (moderate) | Kamini Kaushal | Comedy drama |
| 1948 | Aag | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 8 lakh (est.) | 25 lakh (hit) | Nargis | Directorial debut; first RK-Nargis |
| 1948 | Amar Prem | N.M. Kelkar | Akash Chitra | 5 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (moderate) | Madhubala | Romantic drama |
| 1948 | Gopinath | Mahesh Kaul | Shanti Lokchitra | 5 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (hit) | Tripti Mitra | Social drama |
| 1949 | Andaz | Mehboob Khan | Mehboob Productions | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (blockbuster) | Nargis, Dilip Kumar | Top grosser until Barsaat |
| 1949 | Barsaat | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 12 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (blockbuster) | Nargis | Top grosser of 1949; iconic pairing |
| 1949 | Parivartan | N.R. Acharya | Paragon Pictures | 5 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (moderate) | Usha Kiran | Social drama |
| 1949 | Sunehre Din | Satish Nigam | Ajit Pictures | 5 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (hit) | Rehana | Romantic drama |
| 1950 | Banwra | G. Rakesh | Shama Productions | 5 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (moderate) | Nimmi | Romantic drama |
| 1950 | Bawre Nain | Kidar Sharma | Ambitious Pictures | 10 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (superhit) | Geeta Bali | Musical hit |
| 1950 | Dastan | A.R. Kardar | Musical Pictures | 10 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Suraiya | Romantic drama |
| 1950 | Jan Pahchan | Fali Mistry | United Technicians | 5 lakh (est.) | 10 lakh (moderate) | Nargis | Lesser-known pairing |
| 1950 | Pyar | V.M. Vyas | Kala Kendra | 5 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (hit) | Nargis | Romantic drama |
| 1951 | Awaara | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 20 lakh (est.) | 2.5 crore (blockbuster) | Nargis | Global hit; 64M Soviet tickets |
| 1952 | Amber | Jayant Desai | Seth Jagat Narain | 10 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (superhit) | Nargis | Family drama |
| 1952 | Anhonee | K.A. Abbas | Naya Sansar | 10 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (superhit) | Nargis | Social drama |
| 1952 | Ashiana | Brij Sadanah | Filmistan | 8 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (hit) | Nargis | Romantic drama |
| 1952 | Bewafa | M.L. Anand | Akash Chitra | 10 lakh (est.) | 25 lakh (hit) | Nargis | Love triangle |
| 1953 | Aah | Raja Nawathe | R.K. Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (average) | Nargis | Box office disappointment |
| 1953 | Dhoon | M. Kumar | Silver Films | 10 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (moderate) | Nargis | Musical drama |
| 1953 | Paapi | Chandulal Shah | Ranjit Movietone | 10 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (hit) | Nargis | Crime drama |
| 1954 | Boot Polish | Prakash Arora | R.K. Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Child actors | Comedy Drama |
| 1955 | Shree 420 | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 20 lakh (est.) | 4 crore (blockbuster) | Nargis | Cult classic; social satire |
| 1956 | Chori Chori | Anant Thakur | L.B. Lachman | 20 lakh (est.) | 3 crore (superhit) | Nargis | Rom-com; last lead with Nargis |
| 1956 | Jagte Raho | Sombhu Mitra | R.K. Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (average) | Nargis (cameo) | National Award; social commentary |
| 1957 | Sharada | L.V. Prasad | Sri Venkateswara Films | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) | Meena Kumari | Emotional drama |
| 1958 | Parvarish | S. Banerjee | S.S. Banerjee | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (hit) | Mala Sinha | Family drama |
| 1958 | Phir Subah Hogi | Ramesh Saigal | Parijat Pictures | 15 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Mala Sinha | Social drama |
| 1959 | Anari | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | L.B. Lachman | 20 lakh (est.) | 3 crore (superhit) | Nutan | Filmfare Best Actor win |
| 1959 | Char Dil Char Rahen | K.A. Abbas | Naya Sansar | 15 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (moderate) | Nargis | Multi-narrative drama |
| 1959 | Do Ustad | Tara Harish | Sheikh Mukhtar | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (hit) | Madhubala | Action comedy |
| 1959 | Kanhaiya | Om Prakash | Om Prakash | 15 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (superhit) | Nutan | Romantic drama |
| 1959 | Main Nashe Mein Hoon | Naresh Saigal | Narain Das | 10 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Mala Sinha | Comedy drama |
| 1960 | Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 25 lakh (est.) | 3 crore (superhit) | Padmini | Filmfare Best Actor nom. |
| 1960 | Chhalia | Manmohan Desai | Subhash Desai | 20 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (superhit) | Nutan | Social drama |
| 1961 | Nazrana | C.V. Rajendran | S. Krishnamurthy | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) | Vyjayanthimala | Romantic drama |
| 1962 | Aashiq | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Vyjantimala Prod. | 25 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) | Padmini | Romantic drama |
| 1963 | Dil Hi To Hai | C.L. Rawal | B.L. Rawal | 20 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) | Nutan | Romantic comedy |
| 1963 | Ek Dil Sau Afsane | R.C. Talwar | R.C. Talwar | 20 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) | Waheeda Rehman | Romantic drama |
| 1964 | Sangam | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 40 lakh (est.) | 8 crore (blockbuster) | Vyjayanthimala | Filmfare Best Actor nom.; top grosser |
| 1964 | Dulha Dulhan | Ravindra Dave | Vasu Films | 20 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) | Sadhana | Romantic drama |
| 1966 | Teesri Kasam | Basu Bhattacharya | Shailendra | 25 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (flop) | Waheeda Rehman | National Award; commercial failure |
| 1967 | Diwana | Mahesh Kaul | Mukhram Sharma | 15 lakh (est.) | 1.5 crore (superhit) | Saira Banu | Romantic drama |
| 1967 | Around the World | Pachhi | Pachhi | 30 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (moderate) | Rajshree | Adventure comedy |
| 1968 | Sapnon Ka Saudagar | Mahesh Kaul | B. Ananthaswami | 30 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (flop) | Hema Malini | Hema Malini’s debut; flop |
| 1970 | Mera Naam Joker | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 1 crore (est.) | 2 crore (flop) | Simi Garewal | Ambitious flop; later cult status |
| 1971 | Kal Aaj Aur Kal | Randhir Kapoor | R.K. Films | 40 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (moderate) | Babita | Multi-generational drama |
| 1973 | Bobby | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 50 lakh (est.) | 11 crore (blockbuster) | Rishi Kapoor (cameo) | Cameo; directed; top grosser of 1973 |
| 1975 | Dharam Karam | Randhir Kapoor | R.K. Films | 50 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (hit) | Rekha | Family drama |
| 1975 | Do Jasoos | Naresh Kumar | Naresh Kumar | 40 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (moderate) | Shailendra Singh | Comedy drama |
| 1977 | Chandi Sona | Sanjay Khan | Sanjay Khan | 50 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (flop) | Parveen Babi | Action adventure |
| 1978 | Satyam Shivam Sundaram | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 75 lakh (est.) | 4 crore (superhit) | Zeenat Aman | Controversial hit |
| 1980 | Abdullah | Sanjay Khan | Sanjay Khan | 1 crore (est.) | 2 crore (hit) | Zeenat Aman | Comedy Drama |
| 1981 | Naseeb | Manmohan Desai | Manmohan Desai | 2 crore (est.) | 10 crore (blockbuster) | Hema Malini | Cameo in multi-starrer |
| 1982 | Prem Rog | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 1 crore (est.) | 5 crore (superhit) | Padmini Kolhapure | Cameo; directed |
| 1982 | Gopichand Jasoos | Naresh Kumar | Naresh Kumar | 50 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (moderate) | Zeenat Aman | Action Drama |
| 1982 | Vakil Babu | Ashok V. Bhushan | Ashok V. Bhushan | 50 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (moderate) | Zeenat Aman | Drama |
| 1985 | Ram Teri Ganga Maili | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 2 crore (est.) | 9 crore (blockbuster) | Mandakini | Cameo; directed; top grosser of 1985 |