Renowned music director Amar Haldipur, who has collaborated with iconic figures such as Laxmikant Pyarelal, Khayyam, Rajesh Roshan, and Shankar Jaikishan, recently reflected on his experiences from the golden age of Hindi cinema. He shared fascinating stories about legendary personalities like Raj Kapoor, K. Asif, and Dilip Kumar.
Haldipur recounted a memorable incident during the production of “Satyam Shivam Sundaram.” He described how, while leaving after receiving his payment, he observed Raj Kapoor’s younger son, Rajiv Kapoor, getting into an Ambassador car. Raj Kapoor approached the car, opened the door, and inquired why his son was sitting inside. Rajiv replied, “We are going home, right?”
What transpired next was a striking lesson in discipline from the celebrated filmmaker. “Raj Kapoor asserted, ‘This is Raj Kapoor’s car. When you become Raj Kapoor, you can sit in it.’ He instructed Rajiv to exit the vehicle and told him to take bus number 93 to Chembur to return home, which he did.”
Haldipur also reminisced about a music session for “Kal Aaj Aur Kal,” which was composed by Shankar Jaikishan. “Raj Kapoor was listening intently to a song with his eyes shut when Rishi Kapoor entered and seated himself directly in front of him. After a while, Raj Kapoor opened his eyes and remarked, ‘Mr. Chintu Kapoor, these are Shankar ji, Dattaram, Sebastian… and Raj Kapoor. You are young and do not have the stature to sit here. Please take a seat over there.’” Rishi was then directed to sit by the door, highlighting the strict discipline that prevailed during those times.
Reflecting on K. Asif, Haldipur shared insights from a shoot at Rajkamal Studios, emphasizing the camaraderie among the film greats. “During a shoot, K. Asif casually told Dilip Kumar, ‘O Yusuf, sit down.’”
He also touched on the financial challenges encountered during the making of “Mughal-e-Azam.” “The project faced delays because of funding issues. The extravagant sets and chandeliers were left at K. Asif’s home in Tardeo. When a creditor came seeking payment, K. Asif suggested, ‘There’s a chandelier over there; take it, sell it wherever necessary to recover your dues.’”
Haldipur emphasized the profound respect for work that defined these legends: “Respecting others, receiving respect, and understanding discipline were paramount. When you came to work, that was the sole focus.”
He concluded with a light-hearted memory involving Amitabh Bachchan. “I recall during a film shoot, the cinematographer Dwarka Divecha called out to Amitabh, referring to him as ‘lambu’ while asking him to assist with lighting.”
In a past interview, Rishi Kapoor shared a story of when Raj Kapoor reprimanded him. “I was slapped once by my father for smoking a cigarette borrowed from my father’s makeup artist at a young age,” he reminisced.
Raj Kapoor, often regarded as a visionary in Indian cinema, was married to Krishna Kapoor and had a family of five children, including three sons—Randhir, Rishi, and Rajiv Kapoor—all of whom pursued careers in the film industry, along with two daughters, Ritu Nanda and Rima Jain.
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