Raj Kapoor Birth Centenary Oration: When Raj Kapoor closed his eyes forever while talking to me - Pradeep Sardana

Raj Kapoor Birth Centenary Oration: The world very well knows the contribution of the great filmmaker Raj Kapoor to cinema. But Raj Kapoor also had a deep connection with the theater, he did a lot for the drama world as well. Raj Kapoor had the power of theater in his roots, which took him to the pinnacle. When the same Raj Kapoor closed his eyes forever while talking to me 37 years ago, I was dumbstruck.

Raj Kapoor Birth Centenary Oration - Pradeep Sardana

The above thoughts were expressed by veteran journalist and renowned film critic Mr. Pradeep Sardana in the 'Raj Kapoor Birth Centenary' lecture organized by the National School of Drama (NSD) yesterday evening, in its premises, during the world's largest theater festival 'Bharat Rang Mahotsav'.

Sharing his years of experience and memories with Raj Kapoor, Mr. Pradeep Sardana shared many such things about the great filmmaker that left everyone spellbound. Mr. Sardana said- “Raj Kapoor did his first play ‘The Toy Cart’ at the age of 5. Later, when his father Prithviraj Kapoor started his ‘Prithvi Theatre’ in 1944, Raj Kapoor took charge of the set design, lighting and music arrangements of Prithvi’s first play ‘Shakuntala’. (Raj Kapoor Birth Centenary Oration) The role of Ramu played by Raj Kapoor in the play ‘Deewar’, has become significant the way that even in films, the name of the character playing the role of a servant became Ramu or Ramu Kaka. Raj Kapoor had such kind of fondness for the theatre that when he made his first film ‘Aag’ in 1948, its story was based around the world of theatre.

Mr. Pradeep Sardana also said that Raj Kapoor raised the name of India along with his own name in the world with his film ‘Awara’. Raj Kapoor's magic remains the same in many countries like Russia, Tashkent, Iran and China, till date. Many good and great filmmakers came to the country before and after Raj Kapoor. But there has never been a great showman like him.

Was it a coincidence or a relation from a previous life that I became his companion on his last active day and his last conversation. Raj Kapoor suffered a terrible asthma attack in 1988, before receiving the Phalke Award from the President, and I took him to AIIMS in the ambulance of Rashtrapati Bhavan. In his last state of consciousness, only his wife and I were with him in the hospital. Where he went into coma while talking to me.''

Many dignitaries from the world of theatre and cinema were also present in this event. While welcoming Shri Pradeep Sardana in the function, Prof. Dinesh Khanna, former director of NSD and current director of 'Gita Shodh Sansthan and Rasleela Academy' said-'Today there are very few good critics and experts of cinema in the country (Raj Kapoor Birth Centenary Oration). But Pradeep Sardana ji has gathered in himself the chronicle of 100 years of cinema. There are thousands of such memoirs in his souvenir which can be listened to with interest for hours.’

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