Latest news with #RajKapoor:TheOneandOnlyShowman
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
When Lata Mangeshkar REFUSED to sing for Raj Kapoor's films after demanding royalty: I will sit outside your house till…'
The collaboration between Lata Mangeshkar and Raj Kapoor, though legendary, faced turbulence during 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' when Kapoor replaced Mangeshkar's brother as composer without her consent. This led to a rift, with Mangeshkar demanding royalties and avoiding Kapoor. Eventually, through mediation and Kapoor's persistence, they reconciled, allowing Mangeshkar to continue singing for his films. The legendary collaboration between Lata Mangeshkar and Raj Kapoor gave Bollywood some of its most timeless melodies, but behind the scenes, their relationship was marked by moments of tension and disagreement. One such episode during the making of Satyam Shivam Sundaram revealed the complex dynamics between the iconic singer and the visionary filmmaker—an episode that nearly ended their partnership but ultimately showcased their resilience and mutual respect. Tensions rose during Satyam Shivam Sundaram when Raj Kapoor asked Lata to bring her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar on board for the music. She agreed, but was later shocked to learn that he had been replaced by Laxmikant-Pyarelal—without her knowledge. This incident led Lata to refuse to sing for Raj for a period, and their relationship was further strained by disagreements over royalties. Despite the ups and downs, their creative partnership left an indelible mark on Indian film music. In Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, Raj Kapoor's daughter Ritu Nanda detailed a pivotal moment that strained the filmmaker's long-standing collaboration with Lata Mangeshkar. At Raj's request, Lata persuaded her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar—who was initially reluctant—to compose the music for Satyam Shivam Sundaram, a suggestion originally made by singer Mukesh. However, while Lata was away on a US tour, Raj Kapoor quietly replaced Hridaynath with composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal without informing her. The unexpected move caused a serious rift between Lata and Raj, marking a low point in their otherwise iconic association. Lata Mangeshkar found the situation deeply embarrassing, especially since her brother Hridaynath had accepted the film project on her recommendation, only to face negative press that suggested otherwise. Hridaynath felt offended and humiliated by the turn of events. On returning from her tour, Lata confronted Raj Kapoor, questioning why he had replaced her brother after she had convinced him to take on the project at Raj's own request. According to Ritu Nanda, Raj Kapoor's daughter and author of Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, this incident became a major point of conflict between Lata and Raj. Following the fallout, Lata began demanding royalties from Raj for the songs she recorded, as she did with other producers, and reportedly caused delays in recording sessions, making their professional relationship increasingly strained. To ease the tension between Lata Mangeshkar and Raj Kapoor, Pandit Narendra Sharma, a fatherly figure to Lata, stepped in and persuaded her to lend her voice to Satyam Shivam Sundaram, believing no other singer could do justice to the songs. However, Lata set strict conditions: she agreed to sing only if she could avoid interacting with anyone in the studio. She went as far as requesting Laxmikant Pyarelal to prevent Raj Kapoor from entering the studio during her recording sessions. Lata sang the song and left immediately without speaking to anyone. Around that time, the film Bobby was in production, and she contacted Raj Kapoor to inform him that the singers' association had instructed singers to collect royalties directly from producers. Raj's response was sharp: "I have come here to do business, not distribute royalty." Lata, unfazed, replied, "You have come here for business, and I have come to the zoo," recalling the exchange with a mix of humor and frustration. Tensions reached a boiling point, prompting Raj Kapoor to ask Laxmikant Pyarelal to mediate the ongoing cold war between him and Lata. Though she initially resisted his efforts, Lata eventually received a call from Raj Kapoor, who playfully warned her, 'If you refuse to sing for my film, I will put up a tent right outside your house.' The two eventually reconciled, with Lata going on to sing for Bobby and all the other films Raj Kapoor made throughout his career. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
India.com
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand once teased PM Jawaharlal Nehru with Lady Mountbatten, who was impressed by…
In the 1950s, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand were considered to be the three most important faces of the Hindi film industry. They were the biggest film stars of their time and shared a great bond. The trio was always joking around, and when they were in a mischievous mood, they did not hesitate to prank the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Once, the trio teased Nehru about his closeness with Lady Edwina Mountbatten. In the book titled Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, Raj Kapoor's daughter Ritu Nanda has mentioned this. Quoting Raj, Ritu Nanda wrote, 'Once Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and I were called to meet Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at his Teen Murti residence.' Raj said that at that time, Nehru 'had just recovered from a stroke and looked quiet and a little tired.' But as soon as he hugged the 'Big Three', his mood became good. Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand were impressed by Jawaharlal Nehru's stories of his experiences around the world. 'We all opened up as if we had found a lost friend,' Raj Kapoor said, 'and he too responded in the same way, with a childlike joy. Perhaps he wanted a brief respite from his tiring and politically charged life.' Now that the conversation was flowing like between old friends, the stars dared to ask him about his personal life. Raj said, 'We asked him, 'I heard that wherever you went, women were attracted to you, Panditji!' He immediately replied with a smile, 'I am not as popular as you are!'' Then he asked the question that remained a rumour for years. 'We asked, 'Your killer smile stole Lady Mountbatten's heart… is it true, Sir?' He blushed, enjoyed the question and laughed, and said, 'I love all these stories!'' Since Nehru had answered the first question honestly, Dilip Kumar asked another question. Raj recalled, ''But everyone says she admitted that she was in love with you!' Dilip Kumar said, laughing. Nehru laughed again and said, 'People made me believe those stories.'' Before India's independence in 1947, there were many rumours of closeness between PM Nehru and Lady Mountbatten. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru died in 1964 at the age of 74.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar asked Jawaharlal Nehru about rumours of his affair with Lady Mountbatten; here's how he reacted!
One has often seen pictures of Jawaharlal Nehru along with actors of those times, be it Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar . Kapoor had also mentioned about the times spent with Nehru in his biography. He had written how they would also tease him about being popular among women. In the book, Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, which was presented by Ritu Nanda, the 'Showman' had written about visiting the PM's residence at Teen Murti. He wrote, "Once Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and I were invited to spend some time with the Prime Minister of India , Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, at his Teen Murti residence. At that time, he had just recovered from an unfortunate stroke and looked mellow and somewhat resigned." But he got into a great mood as soon as he held the 'Big Three' in his arms. Clearly, the three actors didn't even shy away from taking liberties with the Prime Minister. Kapoor added, "We all opened up, as if we had found a long-lost friend and he reacted and reciprocated in a similar fashion, with childlike joy. He was perhaps looking for a moment of escape from his overburdened life that was full of having to deal with the political pressure of one-upmanship and sycophancy around him." He shared, "We asked him, 'We hear you used to be very popular and amorously attracted to ladies wherever you went, Panditji!' Not as popular as you fellows are," replied the PM. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Music school in Mumbai Design Courses Learn More Undo The trio also questioned him about the rumours of his affair. Raj wrote, 'We asked, 'Your devastating smile stole the heart of Lady Mountbatten… is it true, sir?' He blushed, enjoying the question and laughing it away saying, 'I love all these stories about me!'' Since they did not get a clear answer from Nehru, Dilip Kumar also joined Raj in this. Raj recalled, 'But they all say she herself confessed her weakness for you!' Dilip Kumar joined in, in a very humorous strain. 'People made me believe in those stories' He laughed again light-heartedly.' For those not in the know, Nehru was rumoured to have an affair with Lady Edwina Mountbatten . They were quite close. However, Lady Edwina's daughter, Pamela Hicks, has written that her mother and Nehru shared a "profound relationship" based on love and respect, but that they were too busy to indulge in physical intimacy. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . And don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor asked Jawaharlal Nehru about his relationship with Lady Mountbatten; he ‘blushed' and said, ‘I love all these stories about me'
Actors Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand were seen as the three most important figures in the Hindi film industry back in the 1950s. They were the biggest movie stars of their generation, and their association with each other made them into an unbeatable team. So when the three of them got mischievous, they didn't shy away from taking some liberties with the then-Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The three stars once teased Nehru about his rumoured relationship with Lady Edwina Mountbatten, and asked him about her during one of their meetings. In the book Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, presented by Ritu Nanda, Raj recalled this visit to the PM's residence at Teen Murti. 'Once Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and I were invited to spend some time with the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, at his Teen Murti residence,' he wrote. Raj shared that at that point, Nehru had 'just recovered from an unfortunate stroke and looked mellow and somewhat resigned.' But, as soon as he held the 'Big Three' in his arms, he was in a great mood. Nehru continued to tell them stories about his experiences around the world, and the three of them were spellbound. 'We all opened up, as if we had found a long-lost friend and he reacted and reciprocated in a similar fashion, with childlike joy. He was perhaps looking for a moment of escape from his overburdened life that was full of having to deal with the political pressure of one-upmanship and sycophancy around him,' Raj shared. At this point, they were talking like old buddies and so, the stars dared to ask him about his personal life. ALSO READ | 'Heartbroken' Parmeet Sethi had to shelve film after Salman Khan announced competing project: 'John Abraham was hurt, studios backed out' Raj shared, 'We asked him, 'We hear you used to be very popular and amorously attracted to ladies wherever you went, Panditji!' Not as popular as you fellows are!' was his quick retort with his famous smile.' They then dared to ask the question that kept the rumour mills active for years. 'We asked, 'Your devastating smile stole the heart of Lady Mountbatten… is it true, sir?' He blushed, enjoying the question and laughing it away saying, 'I love all these stories about me!'' Since Nehru had responded in a candid fashion to the first question, Dilip Kumar asked him another question. Raj recalled, ''But they all say she herself confessed her weakness for you!' Dilip Kumar joined in, in a very humorous strain. 'People made me believe in those stories' He laughed again light-heartedly.' There were many rumours about a relationship brewing between PM Nehru and Lady Mountbatten before India's independence in 1947. Nehru died in 1964 at 74.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Karisma Kapoor reveals her first official dance partner was grandfather Raj Kapoor
Bollywood beauty Karisma Kapoor revealed that her first official dance partner was none other than her grandfather Raj Kapoor . Commemorating International Dance Day , Karisma posted a black and white picture of dancing with the showman. The photo shows a young Karisma in the middle of a ball dance move with her grandfather. While the actress was dressed in a cute skirt and top, Raj Kapoor wore a simple pant and a shirt. Sharing that this was her first official dance, the 'Shakti' actress wrote on her IG, "On the occasion of International Dance Day sharing my first official have asked for a better dance partner." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo It might be interesting to know that Raj Kapoor's daughter Ritu Nanda's book "Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman" states that when Karisma was born, the entire Kapoor clan had reached the hospital to see the newborn, except Raj Kapoor. It is said that he had put a condition before Karisma's birth that he would come to the hospital only if the baby's eyes were blue, and surprisingly Karisma's eyes were blue just like her grandfather's. When Raj Kapoor learned about Karisma's eye color, he was filled with joy. According to the book, Karisma was extremely close to her grandfather growing up and also supported her dreams. Khushi Kapoor Hints at Relationship On the work front, Karisma will next be seen in the series "Brown," where she will essay the role of a detective and recovering alcoholic investigating the murder of a young woman from a prominent family. Helmed by Abhinay Deo, the series enjoys a stellar cast, including Surya Sharma, Helen, Soni Razdan, Meghna Malik, Jisshu Sengupta, K.K. Raina, Ajinkya Deo, Aniruddh Roy, Shatrughan Kumar, and Kiara Sadh, among others. Produced by Rithika Rajachandran and Satrajit Sen, "Brown" is believed to be based on Abheek Barua's 2016 book "City of Death." Shedding light on her role, Karisma called Rita Brown a "unique and multifaceted" character.
