Raj, not Ranbir, is Indian rockstar in Russia
Moscow: Ranbir Kapoor might be setting hearts aflutter back home in India, but Russia still has just one rockstar Kapoor — and that’s his grandfather.
More than 29 years after his death, Showman Raj Kapoor continues to rule Russia as the king of the Indian film industry.
Generations of Russians — even the young — are aware of Raj Kapoor and his cinema and regard him as Bollywood’s numero uno hero despite the new crops of Indian actors who have made a global mark, with their films being released worldwide.
“Raj Kapoor for sure still holds the title of the Indian film industry’s king here in Russia. He is the number one association we have when we talk about Indian cinema,” said 25year old Annie Vo.
Moscow-born Vo, of Vietnamese origin, stressed he was her “favourite” because of the true to life characters he played. “His characters are very down to earth, true to life and genuine. Anybody can connect to his films, cutting across age, race, education and social status,” she said. The creative director at Bardelhi restaurant, which serves Indian food and frequently screens Hindi films at its special movie nights, said she had heard of Ranbir and seen Barfi!, but it is Raj Kapoor’s legacy that lingers.
Raj Kapoor, who passed away aged 63 in June 1988, acted in classics such as Shree 420 and Awara and is still widely known as “the greatest showman of Indian cinema”.
Many in Moscow stressed it was his cinema that introduced Russians to Indian films, which was why he continued to wield such magic.
Raj Kapoor, who passed away aged 63 in June 1988, acted in a series of classics such as Shree 420 and
Awara and is still widely known as “the greatest showman of Indian cinema”