Kamal Ghorui
In the latest episode of the singing reality show, Indian Idol, Bollywood diva Karisma Kapoor shared some unknown facts about her late great grandfather and Bollywood icon Prithviraj Kapoor. Following a soulful performance by contestant Jyotirmayee Naik, who sang the timeless classic of Hindi cinema, ‘Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya’ from the iconic 1959 first hit ‘Mughal-E-Azam,’ starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Karisma was seen visibly moved.Reflecting on Prithviraj Kapoor’s journey, she said, “I don’t know if many people know that Prithviraj ji earlier was a law student. He was so fond of acting that he went to Mumbai, also called Bombay at that time.”She added, “He struggled a lot and then got a break. Prithviraj Kapoor was part of India’s first talkie film, Alam Ara, and after a long time, India’s first colour graded film was Mughal-E-Azam.”Praising Jyotirmayee’s performance, Karisma added, “Thank you so much, you have beautifully rendered it today.”For the uninitiated, Prithviraj Kapoor is considered to be one of the founding figures of Hindi cinema and also birthed the entire reputed Kapoor family of Bollywood.The actor was the father of Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor. His legacy has been carried forwarded by his grandchildren Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor and great grandchildren Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor.Prithviraj Kapoor’s role as Emperor Akbar in the movie Mughal-E-Azam is touted as one of the finest performances in the history of Bollywood.The late legendary was also honoured during the episode by host Aditya Narayan, who said, “Kehte hai aasman mai, sitaare kai hote hain, lekin chaand ek hi hota hain, aur Kapoor’s legacy ka chaand hai Prithviraj Kapoor.”He added, “If it weren’t for Prithvi Raj Kapoor, this Kapoor legacy wouldn’t have existed. There wouldn’t have been many superstars, RK Studios, Prithvi Theatre, and this film industry wouldn’t have existed. Prithvraj came into the industry as an extra, and he made the industry extraordinary. Whether the first talkie film, Alam Ara, became the voice of Hindi cinema, or the industry’s biggest classic, Mughal-E-Azam, became the masterclass of acting, Prithviraj ji showed at every turn why the Hindi film industry calls him Papaji.“
