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Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Kapoor family on Tuesday in Delhi and remembered the life and legacy of cinema icon Raj Kapoor, whose 100th birth anniversary will be celebrated on Saturday. PM Modi, during a candid chat with the Kapoors, said that Raj Kapoor established India's soft power in the world at a time when that word was not even coined.
"In the diplomatic world, we talk a lot about soft power. And at a time when this phrase didn't even exist, Raj Kapoor sahab established India's soft power all over the world. It was his big service to India," PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister met Raj Kapoor's daughter Rima Jain, daughter-in-law Neetu Kapoor and grandchildren - actors Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Aadar Jain and Armaan Jain.
Actors Alia Bhatt - who is married to Ranbir Kapoor - and Saif Ali Khan - the husband of Kareena Kapoor Khan - were also present at the meeting.
Prime Minister, while talking about the power of cinema, narrated an incident about former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.
"In the Jan Sangh era, there were elections in Delhi and they lost the election. So Advani ji and Atal ji said, 'We lost the elections, what should we do now? So let's see a movie.' "They went to see a movie and it was Raj Kapoor's 'Phir Subah Hogi' (1958) and then there was a new morning," he said.
He also recalled that during one of his China visits, the hosts were playing songs from Raj Kapoor's movies.
"I asked my team to record it on a mobile and I sent it to Rishiji (Kapoor). And he was so happy," PM Modi said.
#WATCH | Delhi: Members of the Kapoor family yesterday extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 100th birth anniversary of legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor on December 14
Actor Ranbir Kapoor says, "This is a special day for us. We enjoyed the… pic.twitter.com/fOBVlfLFYK
— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2024
Prime Minister Modi also suggested that the global impact of Raj Kapoor and his films should be captured through the visual format. "Can we do something, probably a film that captures Raj Kapoor's imprint on the hearts and minds of people of Central Asia... He had a big impact on people's lives in Central Asia and I think we should resurrect it and connect it with the new generation. We should do something to link this and I think it is possible," he said.
After the meeting, Ranbir Kapoor said he was grateful to PM Modi for interacting with the family.
"We had a lot of fun during our chat with the PM and we asked a lot of personal questions. He was very friendly with us. We were very nervous before the meeting but he was very good and made us comfortable and I really thank him," he added.
Kareena Kapoor Khan said, "It was my dream to sit next to PM Modi and talk to him. His energy is so positive and he is truly a global leader."
Alia Bhatt said it was a proud moment for the Kapoor family. "With the energy, kindness and the way he welcomed us and the way he spoke about Raj Kapoor ji, he gave a lot of ideas and suggestions about what more we can do to take his legacy forward and to educate the world about him. We really loved it," she said.
During the meeting, Ranbir Kapoor on behalf of the Kapoor family, invited the Prime Minister for the Raj Kapoor Film Festival.
Spanning 101 cinemas across 34 cities from December 13 to 15, the festival -- organised by PVR INOX Limited and the Film Heritage Foundation -- will be dedicated to Raj Kapoor's filmography.
Raj Kapoor - an actor, editor, director, and producer - is known for classics such as "Aag", "Awara", "Barsaat", "Shree 420", and "Bobby".