Latest news with #RKStudios
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This 16 year old girl rescued Raj Kapoor's failing career, her name is.., she was married to..
This 16 year old girl rescued Raj Kapoor's failing career, her name is.., she was married to.. In the glitzy and glamorous world of Bollywood, it is often the dazzling and picture-perfect lives of the celebrities that take the center stage. However, what happens behind the scenes when the curtain falls is a lot more than what meets the eye. Behind every actor who has earned huge stardom is a story of struggle, challenges, and resilience that is often overshadowed by humongous success. But legends are also not built in a day; their journey entails stories that almost broke them off, but their comeback was so loud that people forgot about the existence of their setback. One such story is that of a legendary actor and director, known as the 'Showman' of Bollywood. His charisma, charm, and strong storytelling have been a great contribution to Indian cinema and remain unmatched even today. But before rising to fame, he went through despair that had his whole career at stake, but during that phase, a girl came to his rescue and pulled him out of the brink of bankruptcy. The actor and filmmaker we are talking about is none other than the legendary Raj Kapoor. Raj Kapoor saw major success in his career; he was delivering iconic films after iconic films. But then a tide came when he took a massive risk by putting all his investments in a particular film, 'Mera Naam Joker.' However, despite his sheer conviction, the project failed at the box office, and Raj Kapoor suffered under major loss. He was financially devastated. He had to mortgage his wife's jewellery and his studio to bear the losses. During this time, Raj Kapoor had hit rock bottom; he had everything on stake. But in a turn of events, came a 16-year-old girl with a breath of fresh air who pulled him out of this darkness. That actress was none other than Dimple Kapadia, who was featured in the film Bobby. Dimple wasn't just a newcomer; she later went on to marry the iconic superstar, Rajesh Khanna. But during the time she was featured in Bobby, she not only became a massive hit herself, but she also helped Raj Kapoor redeem his doomed career. Bobby became a massive hit and marked a grand comeback for Raj Kapoor. It also featured Rishi Kapoor in the lead. The success of Bobby not only launched Dimple's career but also helped revive RK Studios and secure Raj Kapoor's legacy for years to come. The man who took Indian cinema to new heights also once went through a phase that almost destroyed him, but resilience, hard work, and fate rewrote his destiny, and even today, his legacy continues to shine.
India.com
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This man made Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Kabir Bedi superstars, died in extreme poverty, name was..., Amitabh Bachchan was his...
This man made Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Kabir Bedi superstars, died in extreme poverty, name was..., Amitabh Bachchan was his... The Hindi film industry has given us numerous evergreen heroes, who have entertained us throughout their careers with impeccable work. However, how can one forget this man who played a pivotal part in building the careers of some of the most prominent stars including, Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Kabir Bedi, as well as, placing his faith in Amitabh Bachchan. We are talking about none other than the legendary producer, director, writer and actor OP Ralhan who made and starred in several hit movies from 1960s to 1980s. He initially started his career as an actor, but soon transitioned to making films like Phool Aur Patthar, Talash, Bande Haath, Hulchul and more. OP Ralhan introduced several new talents in his lifetime. His one of the biggest hits Phool Aur Patthar catapulted Dharmendra to success, because of his iconic shirtless scene in the movie. Following that, Dharmendra gained the title of Bollywood's He-Man, and began receiving opportunities from every leading banner. With Zeenat Aman too, the actress who became a star after Dev Anand's Hare Rama Hare Krishna, was launched by OP Ralhan in his film Hulchul . Kabir Bedi, who was too launched in the same film as Zeenat, once recalled some fond memories working with Ralhan. He revealed how he refused to share the script with him when he cast him as an actor. 'Arre, mujhe story puchega? Sharm nahi aati? Mane Dharmendra ko star banaya hai. Phool Aur Patthar dekhi hai? Mujhse story maangega? Sign kar. (You will ask me for a story? Don't you have any shame? I turned Dharmendra into a star. Have you seen Phool Aur Patthar? Just sign).' Kabir laughed and recalled. In the same conversation with Filmfare, Kabir recalled OP Ralhan going through a distressful financial time towards the end of his last days. Ralhan has been an instrumental figure in Amitabh Bachchan's career too. During those days, Big B was praised for his punctuality, as many superstars were popular for arriving late to work, which used to discourage filmmakers for signing them. One of the reasons why Amitabh Bachchan make sure to be on time at work was probably a lesson that he learnt when Ralhan 'screamed' at him in front of everyone. The filmmaker, who was very particular about timings, once cancelled the shoot because Big B arrived 30 minutes late. Bachchan once shared in his blog, 'Landed up half an hour late for the shoot at RK Studios for 'Bandhe Haath' .. OP Ralhan the director screamed reprimanded me and shut shop .. shoot cancelled and announced in the open to many listening on .. embarrassed beyond .. early lessons learnt.' After a prolonged illness, OP Ralhan passed away in 1999, from cardiac arrest at the age of 74.
Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
The director who launched Dharmendra, Kabir Bedi and Zeenat Aman died broke: ‘Not in good shape financially or physically'
The Hindi film industry is known for celebrating its heroes, but more often than not, yesteryear stars are forgotten as time moves on. Otherwise, how can one explain that the man who was instrumental in launching the career of Dharmendra, Kabir Bedi, Zeenat Aman, and placing his faith in Amitabh Bachchan, way before he became a star, is now forgotten by the masses. Filmmaker-actor OP Ralhan started his career as an actor but soon moved on to making movies like Phool Aur Patthar and Gehra Daag. But, despite all the success that he enjoyed in his heyday, he went through financial hardships towards the end of his life, before he passed away in 1999. In 2022, a intersection in Mumbai's Bandra was renamed after OP Ralhan, and Dharmendra and Zeenat were present for its inauguration. OP Ralhan biggest hit was the 1966 film Phool Aur Patthar, which was also the first big hit for Dharmendra. In an earlier chat with Subhash K Jha, Dharmendra had shared that it was because if his shirtless scene in Phool Aur Patthar that he gained the moniker 'He-Man of Bollywood'. 'Phool Aur Patthar was a golden jubilee hit. Suddenly I was being offered films by every leading banner. Many of them wanted me to take off my shirt,' he said. Unlike Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan did not find his first blockbuster with OP Ralhan, but he was an instrumental figure in Bachchan's career. They worked together in the 1973 film Bandhe Hath and it was probably on this set that Bachchan learnt a lesson that served him for life. In those days, actors like Rajesh Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha were notorious for arriving late to work, which discouraged many filmmakers from signing them. Bachchan was known for being punctual but he probably learnt that lesson from Ralhan as the filmmaker once 'screamed, reprimanded' him in front of everyone, and canceled the shoot because he arrived 30 minutes late. 'Landed up half an hour late for the shoot at RK Studios for 'Bandhe Haath' .. OP Ralhan the director screamed reprimanded me and shut shop .. shoot cancelled and announced in the open to many listening on .. embarrassed beyond .. early lessons learnt,' Bachchan once shared in his blog. ALSO READ | Mumtaz swears by one diet rule Akshay Kumar taught her, follows it everyday to keep fit at 77: 'He told me not to eat after…' Zeenat Aman, who became a star after Dev Anand's Hare Rama Hare Krishna, was launched by OP Ralhan in his film Hulchul. And he was also the one who first facilitated her meeting with Dev Anand. In fact, at the inauguration of OP Ralhan Chowk in 2022, Zeenat shared that she received a 'generous pay cheque' from his production house many years after his death as this was the money that was owed to her by his production house. 'Many years after Ralhan saab passed away, Rupali (his daughter) was checking all the accounts and one day, I received this generous cheque from her. I asked, 'what happened?' She said, 'this is owed to your from our productions',' she shared. However, Kabir Bedi, who was also launched in the same film as Zeenat, revealed in a recent chat with Filmfare that Ralhan was going though financial hardships towards the end of his life. Kabir shared some find memories that he shared with Ralhan and recalled that Ralhan refused to share the script with him when he cast him as an actor. He laughed and recalled, 'Arre, mujhe story puchega? Sharm nahi aati? Mane Dharmendra ko star banaya hai. Phool Aur Patthar dekhi hai? Mujhse story maangega? Sign kar. (You will ask me for a story? Don't you have any shame? I turned Dharmendra into a star. Have you seen Phool Aur Patthar? Just sign).' Kabir shared that he thought he was the hero of the film and added, 'He did the same thing with Zeenat. She thought she was the heroine and she signed. Turns out we were both not the leads. OP Ralhan was the hero himself, paired opposite Helen,' he recalled with a laugh. 'Ralhan was a man of great heart. He used to yell on set 'Oye kabootar, idhar aa'. I felt very bad to know that his last days he was not in good shape financially or physically,' Kabir shared. OP Ralhan died in 1999 at 74.
