VEGETARIAN DIRECTOR RAJU SUBRAMANIAN OF KANYADAAN REMEMBERS NON VEGETARIAN RISHI KAPOOR

Jyothi Venkatesh

As Paulo Choello mentions in Alchemist’s “ If Your Intentions are  clear, even the universe helps you”, I have experienced in my life.The first time I saw Rishi Kapoor at the foyer of Shanmukhanand Hall at Kings Circle at the Filmfare Awards,after the release of Mers Naam Joker,me perched on top of a parked taxi on the other side of the road ,as a young lad of 12 years ,promised ,myself as well my friends ,one i will direct him in a film.

Time eroded and that dream came in reality when producer Sudhakar Bokade asked me to direct his film Kanyadaan, provided I got Rishi Kapoor on board., I had no access to him at at all and after hearing all stories of his arrogance, I gathered courage to speak to my senior guru Ramesh Talwar, a director, who also had passed out from Khalsa College, Matunga like me. He put in a word for me with Chintuji, as a result of which when I called him on his residence number he responded positively.

We cast Rishi Kapoor, Divya Bharathi, Annu Agarwal, Farida Jalal and Anupam Kher and started our first 10 day schedule,but unfortunately,fate had something else when Divya Bharathi expired and I had to cast Manisha Koirala on board.A hard core professional, the four " F " were the pillars of his life ,"films,family,food &friends ".and he did everything with great passion.

I remember on the first of my shoot at Sea -View Hotel; Bandstand, I had sent him the scene with the shot divisions marked on it; he called out for me and asked what this bullshit is. I humbly said I knew my job,but he said he wanted to see on  on the set and not on paper .I shot a scene with him and Farida Jalal and gathered courage and with confidence told him to perform and show me so that I could work out my cuts .He was amazed with my technical capabilities and never ever questioned me after that .I have never ever seen anyone so spontaneous and with hyper reflexes.Everything was a reflection from his heart that was his sincerity to celluloid.

 I remember yet another incident when we were outdoors for a song shoot at Mahabaleshwar,stationed at my friend Ajay Shah’s hotel Valley View which was a pure vegetarian hotel .When Rishi came to know this he started fuming ,”Raju, Do you know that Im am a Kapoor who does not eat ghaas poos and need non veg food.Seeing me smiling he got more furious ,but at that point of time my friend Ajay came along with a chef from Oberoi Hotel, Mumbai who asked Rishi which recipes he would love to have in non veg and there was a sigh of relief and radiant smile on his lips, as if he was telling Oh !You Madrassi, you are so sharp as you know how to pamper me. The next three days we had a blast.

Rishi was like a child who had to be cajoled, but a complete artiste. Many artistes have come and  gone but it is a fact that nobody can be what he was, as I feel that he was the one and only performer, the great Rishi Kapoor. Rest in peace, my dear Chintu as I will always miss you. I loved you and will always love you.