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PRITHVIRAJ KAPOOR
1906 1972
"There is no place in the films for uncouth brawny Pathans who think they can make it as actors".
This is an observation made by Baburao Patel, Editor and Publisher of the top Cinema magazine of the 30's, 40's and 50's, Film India, about Prithviraj Kapoor. Prithviraj in his reply to Film India, said "Baburao, do not provoke this Pathan. If there is no place for me in the Indian films I shall swim across the seven seas to Hollywood and make it there as an actor". Prithviraj did not need to go to Hollywood. That is History.
Conservative is not the ideal term for the environment in which Prithviraj sprouted. In the early part of this century, Peshawar city, in the northern Frontier Province of India, was a cantonment area which housed the British army. It abounded with a happy mixture of Hindu and Muslim Pathans who had migrated from Kabul, Capitol of the neighborly State of Afghanistan. From this soil to emerge into the field of fine arts was an act of heroic imagination.
Born in a middle class Landlord family in Samundri, a district of the industrial township of Lyallpur, Punjab, now in Pakistan, Prithviraj got most of his grounding from his Grandfather, Dewan Keshavmal (seen alonside with him when he was in school in 1916). His father was a Sub Inspector of Police at Peshawar so that Prithviraj after finishing his schooling at Lyllapur and Lahore got admitted in Edward College, Peshawar. Here he came face to face with the reality he dreamt of.
Strange are the ways of those who leave their footprints in the sands of time. Professor Jai Dayal, in charge of Literature and Drama, was in love with an English lady Norah Richard, who was in love with Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw, Elliot, Ibsen, Dresden, Dostoviesky etc., etc., etc.(et al). The clay at their disposal in the form and zeal of Prithviraj was shaped into the finest piece of sculpture. It was destined to be so. The spirit of pioneering manifests in the urge, the obsession and overall aim to shape your own destiny and what could only be termed as deranged thinking, as many then thought.
Prithviraj was married at 18. He graduated and did one year of Law. He wanted to be an actor. He took a loan from his Aunt and left Peshawar. He had three children at that time. He told my mother he would send for her and the children. It was the winter of 1928. His destination was Bombay, the Hollywood of India.
Prithviraj, the Mughal e azam!
Who would forget the dilemma of a loving father and that of an aristocratic ruler torn between love for the son and the duty of a king, played by the late Prithviraj Kapoor as Akbar in Mughal-E-Azam?
He was the man, with misty affectionate eyes and an adorable face. The head of the Kapoor clan, Prithviraj kapoor was the picture of a loving grandfather. He is among the earliest Indian film actors and makers who have remained in the history as the unforgettable.
Coming from a middle class Landlord family in Samundri, a district of the industrial township of Lyallpur, Punjab, now in Pakistan, Prithviraj got most of his grounding from his Grandfather, Dewan Keshavmal.
Though, the late Prithviraj Kapoor is best remembered for his career in cinema, a career that spanned more than 40 illustrious years, it was the theatre to which he dedicated his life. In 1944 he established the Prithvi Theatres.
In 1927 Prithviraj left College, where he was studying for a degree in law, to pursue a career as an actor. He came to Bombay and joined the Imperial Studio Co. where he spent two days as an extra, and then as fate would have it was selected to play the lead in a silent film Cinema Girl starring Ermelene, the screen goddess of her time. Since then it has been Bombay and not Peshawar that this glorious Pathan reigned in.
Prithviraj Kapor was aptly titled as Alexander the great, after his regal imposing personality, which fetched him Sohrab Modi's Sikander-E- -Azam and also due to his resounding voice, which made his kind Akbar's role in K. Asif's Mughal-E-Azam as memorable was his performance that stays etched in audience memory till now.
He is the only actor, the recipient of the Dada saheb Phalke award, third in a row and has been bestowed with this prestigious award posthumously.
He also made his tall and elegant presence made in India's first talkie film Alam Ara made in 1929 . He has even performed in classic films like President, Sapera, Dushman, Vidyapati, Earthquake etc
Despite many roles masterfully enacted, his most memorable performance to a Hindi movie buff would be that of Akbar, in Mughal-E-Azam. His last film was his Randhir Kapoor's directorial debut Kal Aaj Aur Kal, which he completed in his death bed.
The kingly actor who enlivened all his characters with a fire of his own, breathed his last on 29th May 1972.
Prithviraj Kapoor had many firsts to his credit. He was among the first actors, first among the Phalke awardees and also was the first nominated film member of the Rajya Sabha for eight continuous years.
Prithviraj kapoor, like Alexander the great, whose role he played remains everlasting in the pages of history as men who have influenced
their successors.
Children of Rama & Prithviraj Kapoor
Raj kapoor the eldest, then Shammi kapoor and then Shashi the youngest.
RAMSARNI MEHRA
1908-1972.
She was born on the 25th December, 1908, and lost her parents when she was very young. This delicate, petite and beautiful lady we always addressed as Chaiji, which means mother in punjabi. Married at the age of 15, she was the mother of three children, Ranbir, Nandi and Devi when her husband left Peshawar to begin a career as a film actor. She joined him in Bombay in 1930 and they setup house at different rented places, suiting the pattern of her husband's career. It was at their third place of residence that tragedy struck. She lost her second and third son within the span of a week. Devi died of double pneumonia and Nandi of poisoning when he swallowed some rat pills strewn in the garden to thwart off snakes.
The year was 1931, and the memories of the loss of two young sons were stilI afresh in the minds of my parents. My mother was expecting once again, and both my parents wanted to take no chances. They were very cautious about my arrival on the scene and brushing aside the traditional practice of delivering at home, I was born on 21st October at Ajinkya Hospital on Charni Road.
Incidentally, that also made me the first Kapoor offspring born on soil that is today independent India.
Chaiji was a woman of intense strength and full of energy. The entire household revolved around her and she played mother not just to us but to all the other family members and friends who were staying with us. She toured with Papaji and his drama company and shared the tough touring life with them.
Life with a touring company was a very hectic affair and it meant a lot of hardships. There used to be atleast 80 members travelling together like a huge family in a third class compartment with loads and loads of stage equipment. This meant loading and unloading all this equipment at all the halts for putting up performances and living in varied accomodations from time to time. Papaji's drama company toured various places and a typical tour schedule would comprise of halts at Surat, Baroda, Bharuch, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Porbunder, Jamnagar and many other places. At any given time, the Drama company would be touring on road for two to four months at a stretch and these hectic routines and irregular timings would take their toll on Chaiji's health at times.
Despite the hardships of the touring life, Chaiji always played the perfect mother to all the members of the touring company. She was always around taking care of everyone and making sure that everybody was looked after. We were a very large family on road, almost clannish and everyone looked up to her as a mother figure.
Chaiji was a woman of substance and she seemed to know what the future held in store for her and Papaji. They were both suffering from cancer. During the last days, Papaji was staying at the Prithvi Jhopda at Juhu while Chaiji continued to stay at Matunga. She met him for the last time when he was at the Tata Cancer Hospital. Papaji's end came on the 29th of May, 1972. Chaiji too was suffering from cancer at that time and she was at home when he passed away. We asked her if she would like to see him for the last time, but she refused. She did not want to see him in that lifeless state. She wanted her mind to be filled only with warmer memories of the brighter days they had spent together.
Papaji's body was taken to the Prithvi Jhopda and he was duly cremated. All the three of us, myself, Raj and Shashi wanted to take Papaji's ashes for immersion at Haridwar. Chaiji stopped us and said only Raj could go. Shashi and myself would have our chance later. She seemed to know what lay ahead. Chaiji passed away on the 14th of June, 1972, exactly 16 days from the demise of my father. Shashi and myself took her ashes to Haridwar along with my brother-in-law Charni.
Children of Rama & Prithviraj Kapoor
Raj kapoor the eldest, then Shammi kapoor and then Shashi the youngest.
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