Raj Kapoor, born on December 14, 1924, in Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, British India (passed away on June 2, 1988); the name is synonymous with Bollywood. It is difficult to imagine a cinema world in India without the Kapoors. They are a legacy, a legacy of some of the finest artists in the world. Raj Kapoor was the crowning jewel. In fact, his name was Ranbir Raj Kapoor, but 'Ranbir' was dropped later. All of Prithviraj Kapoor's sons have Raj as their middle name. Someone who has spent so many years in filmdom is bound to have some memorable stories. Raj Kapoor Centenary Celebration: From Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt to Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan, Kapoor Khandaan Arrive in Style To Celebrate the Cinema Legend.

Like how his labour for love Mera Naam Joker was four and a half hours long and had two intervals. The film almost led Kapoor to bankruptcy, but today, it is a cult. Also, the fact that Kapoor's directed movies were all about strong women characters while the male folks in them only provided support - be it Satyam Shivam Sundaram or Prem Granth, is still so refreshing to hear. But there's more to him than just that and on his 100th birth anniversary, thus we got five most important trivia about this giant of a showman called Raj Kapoor.

1. Youngest Director-Producer of his time

Raj Kapoor established R K Films when he was 24 in 1948. The studio's first success was Barsaat with Nargis. Thus, the studio's logo has been kept on the iconic pose from the film.

2. Landed in Moscow without Visa

Rishi Kapoor revealed a few years back that Raj Kapoor landed in Moscow for the prep work of Mera Naam Joker without a visa and was still welcomed. Rishi recalled, "Raj Kapoor was making Mera Naam Joker and I think it was in the mid-1960s when he was negotiating with a Russian circus to be part of the film. He was in London and certainly he had to be in Moscow, Russia, which was then Soviet Union," Rishi said. He also added that Raj Kapoor landed in Moscow thinking he had the visa. "But he didn't have visa to come into Moscow. Still they welcomed Raj Kapoor. There was no welcome committee for him because he landed unannounced. So he got outside and waited for a taxi, by then people started recognising that Raj Kapoor is in Moscow. His taxi came and he sat in. Suddenly what he saw was that the taxi is not moving forward and instead is going up. The people took the car on their shoulders."

3. No China For Him

Rishi Kapoor had also revealed that China once wanted Raj Kapoor to visit the country when things were rough between India and China. While Raj Kapoor was excited at first, he later refused the offer. Rishi recalled, "After five or 10 days, he became a little glum. He said to my mother that, 'No, I will not go to China'. When she asked why, he said that the people of China have watched that Raj Kapoor of the 1950s the young and handsome guy. Today I have become old and become fat, so I don't want to break their heart with this look. He never went to China afterwards."

4. Dilip Kumar's Head Baraati

It is said that Raj Kapoor led Dilip Kumar's baraati along with his father Prithviraj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Their friendship was one of the most talked about.

5. Just Friends Not Co-stars

Vijay Anand wanted to make a film with the trio of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand as they were best friends. But it is said that ego and date hassles got the film shelved. We wonder what kind of blockbuster run that movie featuring three huge legends, directed by a legend himself, would have had at the box office.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 14, 2024 02:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).