K Asif barred Shammi Kapoor from meeting his father Prithviraj Kapoor on Mughal-e-Azam set; it went on for days: ‘Akbar hasn't arrived yet'

Indian Express

9 hours ago

Director K Asif's magnum opus Mughal-e-Azam turned 65 last week, and its legacy only seems to grow stronger with time. Widely regarded as one of the greatest films in Indian cinema, this historical epic continues to inspire awe among new generations of viewers. The sheer scale, emotional intensity, and unforgettable performances have ensured its place in cinematic history. Among the film's many celebrated aspects is the towering performance of Prithviraj Kapoor as Emperor Akbar. In a recent interview with BBC News Hindi, veteran actor Asrani shared a humorous and revealing anecdote from the sets of the film when Shammi Kapoor came on the sets to meet his father Prithviraj Kapoor.
'Prithviraj Kapoor was playing the role of Akbar in Mughal-e-Azam. One day, Shammi Kapoor came to meet his father at K Asif's studio. But Prithviraj ji's makeup room was locked. K Asif sahab was strolling around smoking a cigarette. He saw Shammi and said, 'Come here, son, what's up?' Shammi said, 'I want to meet my father.' Asif replied, 'No, the door won't open.' Shammi asked, 'Why not?' Asif said, 'Because Akbar hasn't arrived inside him yet.' Confused, Shammi asked, 'What do you mean? He's already wearing Akbar's costume.' K Asif calmly responded, 'No, he's waiting for the inspiration to come.''
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Asrani continued: 'Now just think about that… such a great actor, someone who ran his own theatre company, who trained so many young actors like Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Prem Nath, he was standing there, waiting for inspiration to strike. And K Asif was waiting too, saying, 'Let it come.' He didn't allow even his own son to meet him. This went on for one day, two days… still, no meeting. Then one day, the door opened, and Prithviraj ji simply said, 'Akbar has arrived. Asif, let's go.' Now tell me, in today's times, will anyone wait like that? If I say, 'I haven't received inspiration yet, the character hasn't entered me' — people will throw shoes at me and tell me to get lost!'
Many veteran actors over the years have praised Prithviraj Kapoor's iconic performance in Mughal-e-Azam. Most recently, it was Naseeruddin Shah, who himself portrayed Emperor Akbar in a web series, who reflected on Kapoor's legacy in an interview with The Lallantop. He said: 'What Prithviraj ji did in the film, I won't comment on his acting style, but what he achieved with the character of Akbar has been cemented in our collective memory. I don't have that kind of aura or personality that he had, so I wouldn't take up a role like that, because eventually there would be comparisons, and I'd fall short in those aspects. But when I read the script, I was sure I would do it, because it had nothing even remotely similar to what Prithviraj ji had done back then.'