This eminent actor of Hindi Cinema was born on December 14, 1924 in a town called Samandru in Peshawar (now in Pakistan). His family left Peshawar and came to Bombay in 1929. Raj Kapoor's father Prithviraj Kapoor himself was an ace actor who potrayed the role of Akbar most beautifully in all time evergreen hit of Indian Cinema Mughal-e-Azam. Raj Kapoor was the eldest of their four offsprings. His other two brothers Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor also are well-known actors.
Early Beginning
Raj Kapoor started his career as a clap boy assisting Kidar Sharma. In 1935, at the age of eleven, Raj Kapoor appeared in his first film Inquilab.
Spouse
In 1946, Raj Kapoor got married to Krishna Malhotra at the tender age of 22. His wife belonged to Jabalpur and their wedding was a traditional family-arranged wedding. Krishna was a distant relative, his father's maternal uncle's daughter. Her brothers Prem Nath as well as Rajindernath were also actors.
Children-
Raj Kapoor and Krishna's eldest son Randhir Kapoor was born in 1947.The second son was actor, Rishi Kapoor ,born in 1952. Their youngest son, Rajiv Kapoor was born in 1962. Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor have all been associated with Bollywood as actors, directors or producers. He was also blessed with two daughters Ritu and Reema
Raj Kapoor's big break came in 1947, when he played leading role in the film Neel Kamal , directed by Kidar Sharma .
Popularity as an actor
He formed a hit pair with Nargis. Raj Kapoor depicted the story of common man in his films and his films appealed to every section of the society. Raj Kapoor had great sense of music and the music of his films was very popular not only in India but in countries like Russia too. Film historians have characterized Raj Kapoor as the " Charlie Chaplin of India," since he often himself played a tramp-like figure who, despite adversity, could still be cheerful and honest.
As Director
Popular as Raj Kapoor (actor), he later was also known as The Showman of Hindi Cinema (as director). Raj Kapoor enjoyed a multi-talented personality. Raj Kapoor was an actor, director and producer.
In 1948, at the age of twenty-four, Raj Kapoor established his own studio, R. K. Films, and became the youngest film director of his time. His first movie as a director was Aag (Fire). The film was an instant success.
Thereafter, Raj Kapoor directed several films. He also acted in most of them. Some of the famous films directed by Raj Kapoor are Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shri 420 (1955), and Sangam (1964).
After the debacle of his ambitious film Mera Naam Joker in 1970, Raj Kapoor's films took a turn toward sensuality. In 1973, Raj Kapoor released Bobby, which started the trend of teenage romance in Indian cinema. He introduced Dimple Kapadia in Bobby who later went on to become a mega star. The film showed Dimple Kapadia in bikini, which was a bold attempt considering societal standards at that point of time. He further pushed the boundaries of sensuality in his other films like Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985). Raj Kapoor's film carried social message too. For example, his film Premrog (1982) advocated widow remarriage.
Achievements:
For his contribution to Indian cinema Raj Kapoor was honored with Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987. He was also the winner of seven Filmfare Awards and a nominee for the Grand Prize of the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.
Death
He died on June 2, 1988 due to asthma related complications. At the time of his death he was working on the film Henna, based on a love story between an Indian boy and Pakistani girl .The film was later completed by his son Randhir Kapoor and was a major commercial success.
Legacy continues
Great people do not die. They have a vision that stays forever. Though among his own sons only Rishi Kapoor made it considerably as an actor, Kapoor family has witnessed its fourth generation in the film industry as Ranbir Kapoor, Karishma and Kareena Kapoor.These are grand-children of Raj Kapoor and are doing great as actors.
