All our assets were mortgaged to release Mera Naam Joker: Rishi Kapoor
17/02/2018
Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor, son of late filmmaker-actor Raj Kapoor, has revealed that Bollywood’s showman mortgaged all his assets and studio to ensure the release of Mera Naam Jokar. It was huge risk to cast newcomers in Bobby (it was Rishi’s first film as the lead and Dimple Kapadia’s Bollywood debut) after Mera Naam Joker’s disastrous show at the box office, he said.
Talking about Raj Kapoor’s passion for making films, Rishi shared an anecdote. He said: “When Mera Naam Joker was about to release, our studio and all our assets were mortgaged to release that film, and the picture bombed.
We were in severe problems. Then he made a film called Bobby with new boy and new girl, which was a huge risk after seeing the failure of Mera Naam Joker. But it became super hit and that is when his friends and my uncles insisted him to buy a house.”
He also said the current generation still talks about his father’s films and so, he is still alive in the audience.
Rishi along with his brothers Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor on Wednesday attended The Raj Kapoor Awards for Excellence in Entertainment event to honour Raj Kapoor.
“It’s been 30 years since my father passed away and recently I visited Georgia and Tashkent. Today’s generation has the exposure to watch any of Khans’ films. They can see Kareena Kapoor or Karisma Kapoor or Ranbir Kapoor’s movies also, but why the youth still reacts to Raj Kapoor’s films? I also don’t understand that,” said Rishi.
“They still talk about his films and his films’ music, so I feel Raj Kapoor is still alive in today’s audience which is amazing,” he added.
Raj Kapoor’s 1970 film Mera Naam Joker released around the time of the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation but after that, political influence in the legendary artiste’s films declined. When asked about it, Rishi said, “I don’t think he intentionally made statements in his films. He used to like a story and then make a film out of that story. He always used to give importance to the story in his films.”
Eminent filmmakers R. Balki, Ramesh Sippy and Umesh Shukla were honoured at The Raj Kapoor Awards for Excellence in Entertainment.
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