TRIBUTE
Scripted from real life

Raj Kapoor, whose death anniversary falls on June 2, drew heavily on his own experiences to weave the rich spread of his movie magic, writes Surendra Miglani

Cinematic genius Raj Kapoor often incorporated situations from real life in his movies. Sometime in the 1940s, Raj along with papa Prithviraj Kapoor and some other family members, went to a girl’s house to see if she would fit the bill as Raj’s bride. While Prithviraj was already a big name in Hindi cinema, Raj was a novice. Raj and his family were shocked to find that the girl’s parents had changed their mind about marrying their daughter off to a film personality as it had "dawned" upon them that films were a respectable profession." The girl’s family refused to "present" her and the shocked family got up to make an exit.

When they came out of the house, RK turned back and saw the girl standing in the balcony, showing her thumb. The taunting gesture remained embedded in Raj Kapoor’s mind all his life. Years later, when he made Prem Rog, he incorporated that moment in the movie where Padmini Kolhapure shows her thumb to Rishi Kapoor in the song Ye galiyan ye chaubara …

Not only this, in his first production, Aag, Raj Kapoor vows to take theatre to a level where it would not be looked down upon by society. The incident with the girl seemed to linger in his mind while he was making the movie.

It is also believed that the showman took inspiration from his favourite singer, Lata Mangeshkar, while drawing up the character of Roopa (Zeenat Aman) in his film Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Like Lata, Roopa did not have great facial beauty (she had a face scarred by burns, actually) but possessed loads of singing talent.

When Raj Kapoor finalised the script of his dacoit drama, Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai, he did not want the dacoit, Raka, to wear the dress that such characters normally wear in Hindi films . But he did not really know what kind of garments should be designed for the villain.

One day, he spotted a person walking down a street, wearing a rather different kind of dress. "That’s it!" he yelled. He had found Raka’s dress.

In Bobby, when Rishi Kapoor comes to Dimple Kapadia’s house for the first time, he knocks at her door. The girl, who is in the kitchen preparing some dish with besan , opens the door and, while making inquiries, inadvertently adjusts her hairdo with her besan-smeared hands. Some besan gets stuck on her locks.

After the release of the film, Raj Kapoor revealed that was exactly what had happened at Nargis’ place when he had gone there the first time.

It is said that Mera Naam Joker was more or less Raj’s autobiography as he depicted the deep pain and anguish of a man who had to keep smiling for the entertainment of others even while facing great separations and setbacks in life.

One wonders if Sangam too depicted Raj Kapoor’s life. It is no secret that he had a deep and sentimental off-screen attachment with Nargis. In the movie, Raj Kapoor loves Vyjayanthimala immensely but, not being a man of high status, gets a rebuff from her and her family. To make himself worthy of Vyjayanthimala, he joins the Air Force and goes to the warfront. Unfortunately, he is believed to have been killed in the war.

The heroine decides to marry Rajendra Kumar, Raj’s closest friend, whom she had loved all along. However, before the marriage can be solemnised it turns out that Raj is alive. Circumstances force the heroine to marry him.

It is Vyjayanthimala’s attitude towards Rajendra Kumar after her marriage that seems to have shades of Raj Kapoor’s own life. The woman becomes extremely cold towards the man whom she loved so much before her marriage. In fact, Vyjayanthimala’s indifference towards Rajendra Kumar forms a big part of the movie and is presented quite poignantly.

In one particular scene in which Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala are enjoying a holiday abroad Rajendra Kumar comes to stay with them on Raj Kapoor’s insistence. However, Vyjayanthimala, at the first available opportunity, asks him to go back immediately as his presence there could ruin her family life.

Well, we all know that Nargis, after her marriage to Sunil Dutt, never looked back. Were the parallels a sheer coincidence? It is significant that Sangam was Raj Kapoor’s first directorial venture after Nargis’ wedding.

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