When 21-year-old Rishi Kapoor helped his father Raj Kapoor recover from ‘debt’

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, April 18

Late actor Rishi Kapoor’s first film ‘Bobby’ was released on September 28, 1973. The film turned out to be a blockbuster and proved to be the perfect debut for Rishi kapoor as well as a saviour for RK Studios, then a debt-ridden company of the actor’s father Raj Kapoor.

RK studio–which gave many hits like—‘Barsaat’ ‘Awaara’ ‘Mera Naam Joker’, ‘Barsaat’, ‘Shri 420’, ‘Hina’, ‘Prem Granth’, ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’, ‘Satyam and Shivam Sundar’—had a rough start as its first movie, Aag (1948) did not perform well at the box office.

It found success with Barsaat (1949). Awaara (1951), was particularly successful, not just in India, but all over the world. The production at that time saw ups and downs. But for this studio, the film ‘Bobby’ was special in many ways.

Through ‘Bobby’, the audience not only got to see a good cinema, but also put forward a new concept.

‘Bobby’ was also great in terms of earnings. Released in the 70s, the film did a business of more than 30 crores that year.

It is said that the film ‘Bobby’ proved to be lucky for RK Studios. Before this, as per reports, RK Studio was mortgaged. It is obvious that the Kapoor family must have had a financial crisis at that time. Before the release of Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia starrer ‘Bobby’, ‘Mera Naam Joker’ failed miserably at the box office, due to which the debt burden of RK Studios was increasing.

This is how ‘Bobby’ saved the mortgaged RK studio. ‘Bobby’ was made by putting everything at stake. This film was a big risk. At that time, showing the love story of a teenage boy on screen and no one knew how the audience would react to it. But Raj Kapoor sahib launched his son from this film and then the way the audience reacted to the film is history.

Rishi Kapoor himself once in an interview with Bollywood Hungama had said that ‘Bobby’ was great for RK Studios.

The studio had suffered a lot due to the failure of ‘Mera Naam Joker’. But then it was because of ‘Bobby’ that the fame and glory of RK Studios was back.

‘Bobby’ had explained the definition of romance to the youth generation at that time.

In 2017, the studio caught fire and then news started coming that the Kapoor family now wants to sell it. In the year 2019, finally this historic studio of Kapoor family was bought by Godrej Properties. According to media reports, this deal was done for Rs 200 crore.

RK studio was again in news as it was decked up with lights during Ranbir Kappor and Alia Bhat’s marriage.