Late veteran actor Raj Kapoor’s affair with Nargis is quite well-known among movie buffs. After working together on 18 films like Barsaat, Shree 420, Awaara, and Jagte Raho, among others, the two actors developed romantic feelings for one another. However, their relationship was marred by controversy as Raj Kapoor was already married to Krishna and they had a son together, Rishi Kapoor.
Raj Kapoor’s daughter, Ritu Nanda, detailed the late actor’s first meeting with Nargis in her book, Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman. Raj recalled that he was 22 and Nargis was 16 at the time. Raj had visited Nargis home to meet her mother but was smitten by the actress when she opened the door instead.
Raj Kapoor recalls in the book, “The door opened and what did I see? An angel standing before me. Woh kisi pari se kam nahin thi (She was no less than an angel)! She had short hair. Baalon ki ek latt uski dahini aankh par aayi, aur lag raha tha jaise woh mujhe sirf ek aankh se dekh rahi thi (A strand of hair fell over her left eye, and it seemed as though she was looking at me with only one eye). That is how I met her.” “Her memory stayed with me,” he said.
Raj continued, “Women have always meant a lot in my life, but Nargis meant more than anybody else. I used to always tell her, ‘Krishna is my wife, she is the mother of my children; I want you to be the mother of my films’. And that’s precisely what she was. I have very beautiful memories of Nargis and our work. There was a special delight in her looks, her gait, her speech. You couldn’t cast her in just any role, though she had great adaptability. That calibre, that kind of person, you do not find in films any more.”
“She understood me and I understood her. You know, I cannot exactly explain my feelings towards her. No, it is not love, though I do like her very much. I think it is the feeling that one good artiste has towards another,” he mentioned.
The affair soon ended and Nargis tied the knot with Sunil Dutt. She never worked with Raj Kapoor again, but their relationship caused a rift between the Dutts and the Kapoors. This went on for 24 years till she was invited to Rishi Kapoor’s wedding with Neetu Kapoor.
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