'Sentimental showmanship' dazzles at legend Raj Kapoor Centenary --star-studded CINTAA musical tribute organized by Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure! by Chaitanya Padukone

Stars may come and stars may go--- but the "greatest showman" Raj Kapoor-saab goes on forever !!. This was fully evident at the grand star-studded musical-concert tribute to super-star Raj Kapoor organized by the CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Assocn)  under the initiative of its dynamic President Poonam Dhillon and dedicated Senior Vice-President  Padmini Kolhapure. This was at the Juhu area Mukesh Patel Auditorium.on Wednesday, Dec 18th evening, Also backing Poonam and Padmini in this grand mission were Secretary Upasana Singh, Treasurer Deepak Parashar, and  Jt. Secretary Kanwarjit Paintal and the Executive Committee Members like Sahila Chadha, Vindu Dara Singh, and Sheeba Akashdeep

Senior Bollywood celebs actors and singers like Padmini Kolhapure, Poonam Dhillon, Nitin Mukesh Suresh Wadkar, Shailendra Singh, Sudesh Bhosle, Raza Murad, Kavita Krishnamurti and Bela Sulakhe and few others who have worked under Raj Kapoor-saab as a 'director or who had collaborated with Randhir, Rishi or Rajiv Kapoor shared their fond flashback memories and the iconic singers even performed on stage and made the show a memorable event. What added an emotional validation to the CINTAA RK-tribute event was  Raj-sahab's daughter Reema (Kapoor) Jain whose dignified presence made its own impact. " My Father Raj-sahab left us all too early at the age of 63. There were so many wishes and dream-projects that he wished to complete and he was unwilling to leave this world despite his health ailments  His famous song lyrics Yeh mera geet jeevan sangeet. Kal bhi koi dohrayega, Jag ko hasane behroopiya, roop badal phir aayega  We will optimistically wait for maybe yet another creative genius film-maker like Raj-sahab who is a hard-working visionary. Since my father film-maker Raj-saab was also a musical genius it is most befitting that this live concert performing his selected evergreen songs is being held, that too for a noble fund-raising cause, "said an emotional Reema who was accompanied by her handsome actor son Armaan Jain who said that he is now focusing only on business and production of the RK bio-pic.

Besides the elected celeb office-bearers, the CINTAA RK fund-raiser musical tribute celebration was also marked by the glittering star-presence of Jeetendra Kapoor, Reema Kapoor, Boney Kapoor, Ramesh Taurani, Mithun Chakraborty, Nitin Mukesh, Johnny Lever, Anand Pandit, Mahaakshay Chakraborty, Sushma Shiromanee, Sheeba Akashdeep Sabir, Anil Nagrath, Birendra Nath Tiwari, Pankaj Dheer, Raza Murad, Paloma Thakeria, Seema Singh, Jayantilal Gada, Sham Kaushal, Sudesh Bhosale, Kavita Krishnamurti, Yogesh Lakhani, senior actor Ali Khan and many more.

With an impressive live orchestra led by eminent flautist Mohit Shastry comprising 20 ace musicians and few chorus singers the evening event brilliantly compered by actor-singer Sudanshu Pandey was studded with a variety of nearly 20 timeless Raj Kapoor melodies sung by top playback-singers. Besides the musical show, the star-celebs came up on stage one-by-one to share heartfelt tributes, and cinematic memories and nostalgia as part of their involvement to commemorate the Centenary ( 100th year) birthday of the legendary Shri Raj Kapoor, Not just an inspiring beacon of Indian cinema and one of the esteemed founding members of the Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA).

In a celebration befitting the Showman of Indian Cinema, the event brought together some of the most celebrated voices in the music industry. Esteemed artists such as Nitin Mukesh, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Suresh Wadkar, Shailendra Singh, Sudesh Bhonsle, Madhushree,  Bela Sulakhe, and others breathed life into the unforgettable melodies of R.K. Films, evoking cherished memories of Raj Kapoor’s cinematic masterpieces.

The soulful evening was not just a tribute to a legend but also a mission of compassion. Proceeds from the event were dedicated to supporting CINTAA’s vulnerable and needy members, underscoring the values of community and care that Raj Kapoor-sahab championed throughout his illustrious life.

CINTAA, the esteemed Cine & TV Artistes’ Association, was enriched by the presence of some of the most celebrated names in the Indian entertainment industry. Among its distinguished members present were renowned actors such as Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure, Puneet Issar, Upasana Singh, Hemant Pandey, Kanwarjit Paintal, Deepak Parashar, Mukesh Rishi, Vikas Verma, Rakesh Bedi, Anita Raaj, Yashpal Sharma, Sahila Chadha, Chandraprakash Thakur, Manoj Joshi, Rashid Mehta, Priti Sapru, Vindu Dara Singh, Hetal Parmar, Deepak Chadha, and Sheeba Akashdeep. Together, these stalwarts of the performing arts upheld the association’s mission of fostering unity, compassion, and support within the film and television fraternity..

On this grand occasion, superstar Mithun-da Chakraborty and Johnny Lever were formally felicitated on behalf of CINTAA by evergreen veteran star Jeetendra on stage amidst thundering applause.

The evening was further graced by esteemed personalities from the film fraternity, with heartwarming addresses delivered by iconic actors Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure, who reflected on Raj Kapoor’s timeless legendary legacy and his enduring impact on Indian cinema and even society.
Poonam Dhillon, reminiscing about the visionary showman, shared, _“Raj Kapoor ji was not just a filmmaker; he was a story-teller of the human spirit. His legacy is a guiding light for generations to come”_

Padmini Kolhapure-Sharma added, _“Celebrating Raj Kapoor ji’s centenary is akin to honouring the soul of Indian cinema. His genius continues to inspire, and this evening was our heartfelt tribute to the man who made dreams come alive on screen”_

As the evening reached its crescendo, the highlight was the grand release of a commemorative Souvenir in honour of Shri Raj Kapoor. This special publication immortalized his journey, his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema, and the indomitable spirit he embodied.

The glittering CINTAA fund-raising RK@100 concert event for needy cine-artistes also included a heartfelt felicitation of sponsors, whose generosity and support made this celebration possible. Their contributions symbolized the collective love and respect for the Showman who re-defined an era of meaningful musical cinema..