Page 6 - Seniors Today - December 2024
P. 6
Cover Story
Raj Kapoor@100
Photograph source: FilmHeritageFoundation.co.in
Even when he was a superstar, he remained down to earth, writes Deepa Gahlot
The baby born in Peshawar on December was like an open house for people. Papaji
14, 1924, to Prithviraj and Ramsarni helped anyone who asked, and often
Kapoor was very briefly given the name of emptied out his pockets before he was even
Shrishti Nath. Thankfully someone had a out of his gate.
look at the fair, blue-eyed boy and rightly Almost everybody from the extended
decided that this staid name did not suit family ended up in show business, as
him. He was renamed Ranbir Raj, which a result of which the Kapoor clan is
he further shortened to Raj and that’s how the biggest dynasty in the world, with
the world knows him...Raj Kapoor, actor, hundreds connected to the patriarch by
producer, director, Showman. blood or marriage.
Prithviraj Kapoor had established In the firm belief that social ills afflicting
himself as a major film actor when Raj the country could be addressed better
was growing up but because his father-- theatre than films, Papaji established his
affectionately called Papaji by everyone-- touring company, Prithvi Theatres and
was not a typical Bollywood star, Raj and travelled all over with them by trains and
his siblings did not have a silver spoon buses, performing in school halls and any
upbringing. They lived in a home that venue that could accommodate their show
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