in Memoriam

I had seen him at his home Deonar Cottage, Chembur, a young energetic, bubbly, mischief in his eyes Chintu, on those rare moments when I was privileged to have been invited to an evening at Raj Ji’s house.

I would see him more often after, at RK Studios, when he trained as an actor for his film to be made, BOBBY .. a diligent enthusiastic youngster, ready to pounce onto every learning that came his way, in that famous large and legendary makeup room, of Raj ji at the end of the first-floor corridor of makeup rooms.

He had a walk that was confident and determined .. a stride and style that was similar to that of his grandfather, the legendary Prithvi Raj Ji .. a walk I had noticed in one of his earlier films .. that walk .. I never found it in any other.

We worked in several films together.

When he spoke his lines, you believed every word of it .. there was never an alternative .. its genuineness was beyond question.

And there has never been any other, that could lip-sync a song as perfectly as he would .. never.

His playful attitude on set was infectious .. even in the most grave sequences he would discover that comedic spark and we would all just crack up .. !!

Not just on set .. if you were with him at any formal event, he would find that little distractive light-hearted gem to expand on and lighten the situation.

When there was a time-lapse as the shot got readied during a shoot, he would bring out his playing cards, or at times pull out his rather complicated Bagatelle board and invite others to play .. a competition .. not just for fun .. a serious competition.

During his time of diagnosis and his treatment he never ever lamented his condition .. it was always .. ‘see you soon, just a routine visit to the hospital .. I’ll be back shortly ‘

Joie de vivre .. the exuberant enjoyment of life, was a gene he inherited from his father .. the Legend, the Ultimate Showman the Iconic Raj Kapoor.

I never visited him in Hospital .. I never wanted to see the distress on his smiling cherubic face.

But I am certain .. when he went, he must have gone with a gentle smile …