The original showman

Ruddy-cheeked and bright-eyed, Raj Kapoor was unmistakably destiny's blue-eyed boy when it came to the world of Bollywood movies.

It got him many film roles and the talented Kapoor made sure he left his unforgettable mark on each of them.
And even now, more than 19 years after his death he is still making his mark at film festivals around the world.
The Middle East International Film Festival screened a Bollywood Showcase - in memory of Raj Kapoor as well as to mark the 60th anniversary of India's independence.

Overwhelmed

Visitors to the event had a chance to learn about the man himself from non other than Rajiv Kapoor, the showman's youngest son.

Rajiv, clearly overwhelmed by the tribute to his father said he wanted to thank everyone who had made the Bollywood Showcase possible.

He said: "My father was a great man and played such a huge role in the evolution of Indian film. He was a loving father and great husband and I'm so proud he is being celebrated in this way. He would be so pleased to know he was being thought of by so many people involved in the movie industry."

Q&A session

The Bollywood Showcase line-up kicked off with a red carpet introduction of a number of famous Indian directors and Rajiv Kapoor himself.

A 30-minute documentary, directed by renowned director Bobby Bedi, celebrating the life and work of Raj Kapoor opened the showcase before Bedi stood for the crowd for a lively Q&A session.

This was followed by a memorial screening of Raj Kapoor's most famous offering, Awaara - a film which Raj Kapoor directed and starred along with his father, Prithviraj Kapoor.

Bobby Bedi said: "I made the documentary Kehta Hai Joker in 2000 as a feature-length presentation. It was later cut down to 30 minutes to be shown as an opener at various film festivals. I am very proud to have directed such a piece, especially in memory of someone so incredibly talented and famous. It has been an honour."

Speaking about MEIFF Bedi said: "The venue is breath-taking and the organisation wonderful. It is something to build on and I expect great things from the Middle East International Film Festival in years to come."

Did you know?

Raj Kapoor entered the film industry as a clapper boy.

He started his acting career at the age of 11 with the film Inquilab and made it to the big league with his lead role in Neel Kamal in 1947.

At the age of 24, in 1948, Raj Kapoor established his own studio, RK Films, with his first directorial venture Aag.

He discovered talents like Nimmi, Dimple Kapadia, Rishi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure and Mandakini for the film industry.

Music was the soul of Raj Kapoor's films, and they became popular not only in India, but abroad too.

Raj Kapoor had the unique ability to marshal talents like writer K A Abbas, lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, music maestros Shanker-Jaikishan, singer Mukesh and numerous actors and make them work at their optimum.

Film historians and movie buffs speak of him as the "Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema," since he often portrayed a tramp-like figure, who, despite adversity, was still cheerful and honest.