End of an era

A floor above Raj Kapoor’s office at the studio was a preview theatre. And Vidyadhar reminisces how during the previews, the filmmaker would never sit on a chair. “I have rarely seen him sitting on a chair. He always sat on the floor, in front of the screen. He would often say ‘ when I sit on the floor I am connected to my roots and I can feel how a common man would like my film’,” he reminisces.

The late actor also had a simple wooden chair placed at the reception, where he spent a considerable amount of time greeting and meeting the visitors, before entering his office. The chair was later taken to his farmhouse in Loni. Such was his benevolence that during film shoots at the studio, the food came from his house and after the success of Bobby he gifted the Rajdoot bike, used in the film, to his cook. As film historian, SMM Ausaja aptly says, “The studio was formed on the foundation of love for the cinema.”

FUN AND FESTIVITIES

Noted stunt director Sham Kaushal who has worked in films such as Dangal and Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, remembers strolling outside the studios in 1979 and witnessing his first live shoot. “I was a salesman then and my office was right behind RK Studio. One day I saw a crowd going into the studio and followed them. A mahurat shot of some Vinod Khanna film was underway,” he chuckles.

It was only two years later when he became a stuntman, that his mentor Veeru Devgan took him to the most awaited party at the RK Studios — the Holi party. “I have never seen such a lively party. All his actresses and actors used to be in full attendance. The festivities would start with a small pooja, colours, followed by bhang. They also had a tub filled with coloured water and one after another, people were pushed into it,” he laughs, adding, ‘ Veeruji had an open jeep and we left the party at four in the morning. RK holi was a festival in itself.”

In those days, media wasn’t privy to such celebrations but Padmini recalls how industry insiders made sure they were at the party. “It was a comfortable and secure zone within the studio. Invitees were restricted, and it was immensely colourful. You name it and everyone was there,” she adds. Even the 20- day long celebration of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor’s wedding took place inside the studios and so did their wedding reception.

MEANWHILE

Not ready to let one of the important chapters of the Indian cinema die, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asking for an intervention. “We demand that the government acquire this property at the market value stated by the Kapoor family and convert it into a film museum in order to preserve the tremendous historical and emotional value attached to the studio,” Nirupam said in the letter. And as Ausaja puts it, “The attachment is primarily emotional, not just for film fraternity but for the cinema lovers. Because RK symbolised romance, passion and love for cinema.”