Raj Kapoor refused to visit China because of his size, reveals Randhir Kapoor

Agencies
February 15, 2018

Mumbai, Feb 15: Bollywood’s showman Raj Kapoor may have brought the film industry to China, but the actor-filmmaker never visited the country as he did not want fans to see him after his weight gain, Raj Kapoor’s son Randhir has revealed.

Randhir said his father’s films were so popular in China that the late actor once received an invitation to visit the country. “One day, he called me and said he got an invite to visit China because his films are very popular there and we all are going to China! He was very excited and so were we. While we were making arrangements, two days later he called me and said, ‘I am thinking, let’s not go to China’. He said, ‘They are in love with the Raj Kapoor of Awaara, Shree 420 and look at my size now! I don’t look like that anymore’!” he said.

Randhir said despite being the pioneer of Hindi films in China, the actor never visited the country as he did not want to disappoint his fans. “He said, ‘Russia has been seeing me over the years in various sizes so they accept me even now, but I don’t want to disappoint all my fans and break the image (in China). I am not the Raj Kapoor they think I am’,” he said, recalling the conversation with his father.

“That was the actor in him speaking. He didn’t go. All his life he never went to China. He is still very popular, his films are very popular. Now all our films are going there (China) but he was the pioneer who took our films there. But the actor in him didn’t want to break the image,” he added.

Randhir, along with brothers Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor, was speaking at a panel discussion last night during Raj Kapoor Awards for Excellence in Entertainment. The session was moderated by journalist Shekhar Gupta.

Randhir said of all the characters his father played, the ‘common man’ role is his personal favourite. “He created the ‘common man’ character Raju for himself. One of my favourite films of his -- not produced or directed by him -- is Anari, which again had the same common man which Hrishikesh (Mukherjee) da took (inspiration from). I like the common man character,” he said.

Rishi said Anand was originally written for his father. The role was later played by Rajesh Khanna. “He missed two films which he couldn’t do which were created for him. One was Anand. Hrishi da had discussed it with him, he wanted to make it with him. The second film was L V Prasad’s Milan, which later had Sunil Dutt and Nutan. That’s why all the songs are sung by Mukesh. Prasadji waited for papa but he was busy with something else so he couldn’t do it,” he added.

Rishi also revealed that his father nearly missed the opportunity of being directed by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. “Originally Jaagte Raho was offered to Satyajit Ray to direct but he wasn’t available. That’s why the whole crew was Bengali in the film because Dada was supposed to direct it. My father missed being directed by Ray and, in fact, my grandfather just missed being directed by the great Rabindranath Tagore in another film,” he said.

Filmmaker Ramesh Sippy was conferred the first Raj Kapoor Awards for Excellence in Entertainment at the event. Director R Balki, who recently directed PadMan, and Umesh Shukla, the helmer of Oh My God, were also honoured.

The event was a part of the two-day ‘Elevate 2K18’ bi-annual conclave, held here.

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News Network
April 5,2020

New Delhi, April 5: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday in a written message urged people to stay kind to each other and support each other in the testing times amid coronavirus crisis.
The message was shared by the actor's production company - Red Chillies Entertainment.

"At a time when the human race is facing an immense crisis, there can only be one true response: The expression of Humanity itself. This is a moment for all of us to come together in a collective effort to make each other kinder, stronger and braver to face the days ahead," said Khan.

The message from the megastar can be seen as an attempt to instill positivity and calm amidst the current situation of chaos.

"This crisis is not going to pass in a hurry, it will take its time and its toll on all of us. It will also show us that there isn't really a choice between looking out for ourselves and looking out for one another," he said.

"There's nothing more obvious in the spread of this pandemic than the fact that each one of us is inextricably connected to each other, without any distinction," he added.

He urged people to stay compassionate towards each other and also said that how we deal with this pandemic will define India as a Nation.

"So, while we do whatever we can to support each other in our own small ways, the compassion we show to those who are likely to face the most brutal brunt of both, the pandemic and its economic consequences will define us as a generation and as a Nation," the 'Kal Ho Na Ho' actor said.

"The scourge we are up against. is fearsome and unknown to us. Like all uncharted paths, our journey to overcome every new challenge it throws at us will be arduous. There will be times when the best intentions might yield the wrong results. There may also be times when we accidentally stumble upon important solutions," he added.

The 54-year-old actor urged people to confront each challenge with courage and said that he will do his best it.

"All we can really do is try our utmost to adapt and confront each challenge with courage. As a nation, and as a people, it is our duty to give it all we've got. I am going to try my best and I know each one of you will do so too. Only together we will able to fight through these difficult and unimaginable days. Together. we will overcome," he said.

He also added short poetry which said that a bright day follows this dark night and new beginnings of the day are awaiting.

"Raat ke baad naye diin ki sahar aayegi, Din nahi badlega, tareekh Badal jayegi..." read the message.

King Khan ended the message by urging people to ta maintain a physical distance with others.
"I pray for you and your families, please do the same for me. And follow Physical Distancing..........Physical Distancing.. Physical Distancing...PLEASE," said Shah Rukh Khan.
Earlier on Saturday, the Padma Shri awardee along with his wife Gauri Khan offered their personal office space in Mumbai for quarantine purpose for children, elderly and women.
The couple has also made donations to the PM CARES Fund and shared that his companies -- Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation, and Red Chillies VFX -- are taking several initiatives to support the relief efforts.

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News Network
July 25,2020

Bhubaneswar, Jul 25: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit many people hard, and the latest victim of the pandemic is Bollywood actor Kartika Sahoo from Odisha. With the entertainment industry almost non-functional and most productions on hold, the actor is forced to sell vegetables for a living.

Sahoo, who hails from the from Garadpur block of the Kendrapada district in Odisha, said that he went to Mumbai to try his luck in Bollywood at the age of 17. For many years he worked as a bodyguard to film stars and cricketers such as Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar, among others.

Lady luck shone on him in 2018, and he landed noticeable roles in the action sequences of many movies, he said while speaking with news agency. He also has a fight sequence with Akshay Kumar in his upcoming film 'Sooryavanshi'.

Just before the nationwide lockdown which started on March 22, Sahoo had returned home to Odisha after shooting a fight sequence in Jaipur. Since then, with no work, the actor has been living off his savings to sustain his family. But, after four months of no work, and a medical emergency, a major part of his savings was drained.

To find work, he moved to state capital Bhubaneswar, but to no avail. In the end, Sahoo had to resort to selling vegetables in Rasulgad there.

Sahoo is still hopeful and said that he'll again try his luck in Bollywood once the situation is back to normal, till then he'll struggle, like others, for survival.

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News Network
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Actor Anushka Sharma on Tuesday exhorted people to maintain hygiene and advised to stop open defecation in a bid to avoid coronavirus spread.

As the country is grappling with the coronavirus crisis, the 'PK' actor has joined the initiative with the Swachh Bharat Mission, which aims to tell the people that the contagion can be curbed through strict sanitation process.

"When women all over the country had decided that they would educate everyone on the lesson of close the door, shun the disease, no one had thought that their initiative would turn into such a huge wave!," the actor was seen saying in a video posted in the official Twitter handle of Swachh Bharat I #IndiaFightsCorona.

"Today, in the time of coronavirus pandemic, we all have to again remember and remind others about the lesson of cleanliness," she added.

"If we take care of cleanliness around us, by not defecating in the open, we will keep ourselves healthy and India clean. We will become strong to fight against any kind of disease," the 32-year-old star said.

The 'Sultan' actor noted that by stopping defecating in open and closing the toilet door at all times can be a solid measure to drive the disease out of the country.

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