Rajiv Kapoor, the youngest son of legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor, unfortunately didn’t manage to make as big an impact in Indian cinema as his father or his illustrious brothers. Yet, he remains widely remembered and loved for his role in Ram Teri Ganga Maili, a film directed by his father that went on to become a massive blockbuster. In a old interview with Lehren Retro, Rajiv candidly spoke about how surprised he was when his father chose him as the lead actor in the film.
He recalled, “I had only prayed that I get the chance to become Raj Kapoor sahab’s assistant. I was his son, of course, but he was also my guru, and I was his student. I got the opportunity when he started Prem Rog and asked me to assist him. That was a big moment for me because I was getting a chance to learn from an absolute legend.”
Rajiv Kapoor further revealed that his father had always wanted him to be independent and make a mark on his own. “He always wanted me to work as an actor for the first time on my own… to do something independently like he had done. He believed, ‘Why should I start something for you… you do it yourself.’” Despite this encouragement for independence, Rajiv admitted that during the making of Prem Rog, he became so enamoured by his father’s direction that he secretly hoped to act under him someday.
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“I prayed to God – I had signed four or five films… but please give me one chance to act in my father’s film. At that time, Ram Teri Ganga Maili wasn’t even in his mind. Then, around 6–7 months later, one evening he called me and asked, ‘Will you work with me?’ At first, I didn’t understand what he meant. Then he asked, ‘What’s your date availability? I want you to act in my next film.’ I replied, ‘Sir, why are you joking… what do you mean work? Just tell me when to start.’ And that’s what happened – when he asked for my dates, I gave him all of them and cancelled everything else.”
Ram Teri Ganga Maili wasn’t just a huge commercial success, it became one of the top three highest-grossing films of 1980s Bollywood. It also holds the distinction of being the last movie directed by Raj Kapoor before his passing.