Did you know? Raj Kapoor loved celebrating his films by throwing lavish parties

Remembering Raj Kapoor on his death anniversary,

Raj Kapoor is said to be the first international star of Independent India. The veteran entertainer was not only an actor par excellence but also a fine director and producer as well. His contribution to the world of Hindi cinema is unparalleled.

Before joining his father’s Prithvi Theatre, Raj Kapoor made his acting debut with Debaki Bose’s 1935 film Inquilab at the age of 10. After doing a few small roles in films, Kapoor bagged his first big film as the lead actor opposite Madhubala in the 1947 film Neel Kamal. He became the youngest director of Indian cinema with his 1948 film Aag, in which he acted opposite Nargis.

He gained international fame with his song, ‘Awara Hoon’ from the film Awara, which has been celebrated across China, Russia, Turkey and other Asian countries.

In 1955, he directed and acted in Shree 420 which bagged the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. The film Anari also won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Films like Sangam and Mera Naam Joker bagged him the Filmfare Award for Best Director.

While the actor was dedicated to his work, he also liked to celebrate his films with lavish parties. In an earlier interview with Filmfare, Raj’s daughter Rima Jain shared, “Papa was not a regular dad, who’d be available at all times. But he was aware of everything that we did. Basically, Papa, for us, meant ‘entertainment’. Movies, vacations, parties, new outfits… He loved throwing lavish parties.”,

In an old interview with BBC, Raj Kapoor’s grandson Ranbir Kapoor shared that his love for movies is because of his grandfather's work in the Indian cinema.

Born on December 14, 1924, Kapoor worked in more than 75 films. The veteran filmmaker took his last breath on June 2, 1988 after directing the last film of his life Ram Teri Ganga Maili, starring Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor, which bagged many awards including Filmfare Award for Best Film and Best Director. ,

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