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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Agencies
June 14,2020

Chennai, Jun 14: Tamil Nadu Police has recovered about 100 bottles of liquor from the car of actor Ramya Krishnan, who had starred in movies like Bahubali, Padaiappa and others.

According to the police, the actor was traveling in the car at the time on the East Coast Road (ECR) where they were carrying out vehicle checks on Thursday.

The police found about 100 liquor bottles in the car boot and when queried Ramya Krishnan said she was unaware of the bottles.

Later the police confiscated the bottles and arrested the driver Selvakumar who said the liquor was bought at the Tamil Nadu government-run liquor shop.

The government has not allowed the opening of the Tasmac shops in Chennai.

Another driver came and drove the actor back to Chennai.

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News Network
February 27,2020

Mumbai, Feb 27: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday said it's with constant education that a country, a family can move forward as there is never an end to learning.

In December last year, when the actor visited the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the La Trobe University announced the 'Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship'. At the event to announce therecipient of the scholarship here on Wednesday, Shah Rukh said it was his honour to lend his name or be attached to the scholarship.

"I am a big believer in education. I truly believe that the way forward for any country, any family, city, state is by educating itself more and more.

"There is never an end to education. I've come to realise the more I know, I figure out, the less I understand. It's very important to keep educating ourselves for the rest of our lives.

"I've always believed education in India and elsewhere in the world, is the most important step forward for any nation," he said.

The scholarship aims to provides an opportunity for an aspiring female researcher from India to undertake research.

The 54-year-old superstar said what also will help taking the world move ahead is educating women.

"Related to the fact, is of course, education of women, empowering women, to look after themselves to look after their families...

"If you are able to empower them with education, the world goes even further forward," the actor added.

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News Network
July 6,2020

Jul 6: Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero, who specialized in playing tough guys on Broadway in such shows as Waitress, A Bronx Tale and Bullets Over Broadway, has died in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications after contracting the coronavirus. He was 41.

Cordero died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai hospital after more than 90 days in the hospital, according to his wife Amanda Kloots. “God has another angel in heaven now,” she posted on Instagram. “Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband.”

Nick Cordero entered the emergency room on March 30 and had a succession of health setbacks, including mini-strokes, blood clots, septis infections, a tracheostomy and a temporary pacemaker implanted. He had been on a ventilator and unconscious and had his right leg amputated. A double lung transplant was being explored.

Kloots, sent him daily videos of her and their 1-year-old son Elvis, so he could see them if he woke up, and urged friends and fans to join a daily sing-a-long. A GoFundMe page to pay for medical expenses has raised over $600,000.

“I tell him, I say, ‘You’re gonna walk out of this hospital, honey. I believe it. I know you can,’” she told “CBS This Morning” over the summer. ”‘We’re gonna dance again. You’re gonna hold your son again.’ My line is, ‘Don’t get lost. Get focused.’”

The lanky Cordero originated the menacing role of husband Earl opposite his estranged wife, played by Jessie Mueller, in Waitress as well as the role of Sonny in Chazz Palminteri’s A Bronx Tale. It was at Bullets Over Broadway where Cordero met his wife. The two married in 2017.

Cast members from “Waitress” — Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Kimik Glenn and songwriter Sara Bareilles — helped raise money for Cordero by covering his song “Live Your Life.” Sylvester Stallone sent a video with best wishes.

Kloots had said that it was difficult to tell whether Cordero understood what happened to him, but said he could respond to commands by looking up and down when he was alert.

Her husband played a mob soldier with a flare for the dramatic in Broadway’s Woody Allen 1994 film adaptation of Bullets Over Broadway, for which he received a Tony nomination for best-featured actor in a musical. He moved to Los Angeles to star in Rock of Ages.

On the small screen, Nick Cordero appeared in several episodes of Blue Bloods and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and he had a role in the film Going in Style.

Actor and guitarist for Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt offered Cordero his first TV acting gig in the final episode of Lilyhammer. After he was hospitalized, Van Zandt teamed up with Constantine Maroulis and Vincent Pastore to make a video performing “Live Your Life.”

Cordero was last onstage in a Kennedy Center presentation of Littler Shop of Horrors. His off-Broadway credits include The Toxic Avenger and Brooklynite.

The coronavirus has sickened other Broadway veterans, including the actors Danny Burstein, Tony Shalhoub, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Gavin Creel, Aaron Tveit and Laura Bell Bundy as well as composer David Bryan. It has also claimed the life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally.

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