Vyjayanthimala Remembers The Showman Raj Kapoor
The veteran actor looks back on working with him on the classic Sangam and her rapport with the iconic actor-filmmaker
The first time that I met Raj Kapoorji was during a cricket match between film stars in Delhi. My first Hindi film, Bahar (1951), produced by AVM Productions in Chennai, had been a huge hit. Naturally, he must have heard of me, and when he met me, he complimented me on the film and my height. I had no idea then that we were soon about to be cast together in Nazrana (1961).
While working on that film, it occurred to him that I could be in his upcoming film, Sangam (1964). He was directing it, and when he spoke about the idea with me, he told me about the heroine of the film, Radha. I told my grandmother about it and one day I received a telegram. It said, “Bol Radha bol—Sangam hoga ke nahin?” and was undersigned Sunder, Rajji’s character in the film. I discussed this with my grandmother, father and a few family friends, and decided that I must work in the film.
Rajji was a very good filmmaker—he knew exactly how he wanted Radha to look and speak. How her gestures and expressions, of course, would need to be. He had completely conceptualised and visualised every scene in Sangam in depth and could bring out the best from all the artists in the film. So, I replied via telegram, saying, “Sangam hoga, zaroor hoga”.
In the two films that I did with him, I saw differing dimensions of Rajji’s personality. As opposed to Nazrana, where he was just an actor, in Sangam—where he was the producer, director and the film’s hero—he was very multifaceted and musically minded. He would be present during all the sittings with the music directors, Shankar-Jaikishan, and on a few occasions, even sing and make an improvement. It was amazing to see.
The undying popularity of Sangam comes from the fact that it was a complete package, with the blockbuster stamp on it from the very beginning. A phenomenal director, a big producer, brilliant music, a lovely cast (including Rajendra Kumar)—what more could you ask for? In fact, it had two intermissions and the film also benefited from an excellent crew, stunning outdoor locations and a truly captivating plot.
My journey and rapport with him in Sangam was a learning experience like no other, and one that I really remember and enjoyed. We respected each other a lot.
As told to Nayare Ali