When Rishi Kapoor revealed Raj Kapoor's alleged affairs with heroines
The showman of Hindi Cinema, Raj Kapoor allegedly had affairs with his heroines. His youngest son, Rishi Kapoor once revealed Raj Kapoor’s alleged affair. Also, take a look at the women he was rumoured to have relationships with.
Follow(Image: Still from the movie Anari)
When late actor Rishi Kapoor wrote his autobiography, Khullam Khulla, he revealed several colourful details about his father Raj Kapoor. He also went on to write about his alleged affairs, including a reference to an extra-marital affair.
Raj Kapoor, one of the most revered actor-directors of Indian Cinema was married to Krishna Raj Kapoor. One of the most famous alleged affairs of Raj Kapoor was with his leading lady in many films, Nargis, the mother of Sanjay Dutt, who later went on to marry Sunil Dutt. A few years ago, when Rishi Kapoor wrote his autobiography, he spoke of Raj Kapoor’s alleged affair with Nargis, without naming her in it.
(Image: Still from the movie Shree 420)
"My father, Raj Kapoor, was 28-years-old and had already been hailed as the 'showman of Hindi cinema' four years before. He was also a man in love - at the time, unfortunately, with someone other than my mother. His girlfriend was the leading lady of some of his biggest hits of the time, including Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949) and Awara (1951)," wrote Rishi Kapoor.
Even though Rishi Kapoor had not named her, it was more than obvious that he was talking about Nargis, who was the leading lady in these films. And many others such as Shree 420.
Rishi Kapoor went on to describe Nargis as Raj Kapoor’s ‘in-house heroine’ in his autobiography. Nargis is featured in the logo of the Kapoor-owned RK Studios.
Not only Nargis, but Rishi Kapoor also wrote about Raj Kapoor’s alleged extra-marital affair with actress Vyjayanthimala. Another popular actress of those days, Vyjayanthimala had co-starred with Raj Kapoor in films such as Sangam.
(Image: Still from the movie Sangam)
Rishi Kapoor wrote in his book, "I remember moving into the Natraj Hotel on Marine Drive with my mom during the time Papa was involved with Vyjayanthimala. From the hotel, we shifted for two months into an apartment in Chitrakoot. My father had bought the apartment for Mom and us. He did all he could to woo her back, but my mother wouldn't give in until he had ended that chapter of his life."
Vyjayanthimala had denied rumours of an affair with Raj Kapoor. Rishi Kapoor had written about this too in his autobiography. "She had no right to distort facts just because he was no longer around to defend the truth... But I can say with absolute certainty that if Papa had been alive, she wouldn't have denied the affair so blatantly or called him publicity hungry," he wrote.
Apart from these two alleged affairs of Raj Kapoor, the ‘Mera Naam Joker’ actor was also rumoured to have an affair with Zeenat Amaan.
(Image: Still from the movie Satyam Shivam Sundaram)
When Zeenat Aman was filming Satyam Shivan Sundaram with Raj Kapoor, rumours of them getting close were rife. The close proximity that the two actors allegedly shared was also mentioned in Dev Anand’s autobiography, Romancing With Life.
Dev Anand, who was much in love with Zeenat Aman in those days, wrote in his book, “A drunken Raj Kapoor threw his arms around her exuberantly. This suddenly struck me as a little too familiar. And the way she reciprocated his embrace seemed much more than just polite and courteous.”
“The hearsay now started ringing true. My heart was bleeding. In drunken joviality, Raj told Zeenat: ‘You are breaking your promise that you will always be seen by me only in a white sari’.”
“More embarrassment was written large on her face, and Zeenat was not the same Zeenat for me any more. My heart broke into pieces… The rendezvous had already lost all meaning in my mind. I sneaked out of the place,” wrote Dev Anand.
These rumours of Raj Kapoor and Zeenat Aman fizzled out after she married director-producer Mazhar Khan.
