New Delhi, Dec 11: A day after the members of Raj Kapoor’s family met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan thanked him for inviting them to “commemorate the extraordinary life and legacy” of their grandfather ahead of the cinema icon’s birth centenary.
The Kapoor family, including actors Ranbir Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, and Neetu Kapoor, met the prime minister on Tuesday.
December 14, 2024 marks the 100th birth anniversary of Raj Kapoor, an actor, editor, a director, and a producer, known for classics such as “Aag”, “Awara”, “Barsaat”, “Shree 420”, and “Bobby”.
According to Kareena’s Instagram post shared on Wednesday, the PM invited the Kapoor clan to New Delhi ahead of the milestone anniversary.
“We are deeply humbled and honoured to have been invited by the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to commemorate the extraordinary life and legacy of our grandfather, the legendary Raj Kapoor.
“Thank you Shri Modi ji for such a special afternoon. Your warmth, attention, and support in celebrating this milestone meant the world to us,” she captioned a series of pictures of the family with the prime minister.
The Kapoor kin, including Rima Jain, Karisma Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Saif Ali Khan, Aadar Jain, Armaan Jain and Anissa Malhotra, met Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and invited the prime minister for the Raj Kapoor Film Festival, a source earlier told PTI.
The family members expressed hope that Modi would attend the film festival, they said.
Spanning 101 cinemas across 34 cities from December 13 to 15, the gala — organised by PVR INOX Limited and the Film Heritage Foundation — will be one of the most extensive retrospectives ever dedicated to Raj Kapoor’s filmography.
In her post, Kareena also said: “As we celebrate 100 glorious years of Dadaji’s artistry, vision, and contribution to Indian cinema, we honour the timeless impact of his legacy, which continues to inspire us and generations to come.”
“We are proud to showcase his iconic films and remember the impact he had on Indian cinema with the ‘Raj Kapoor 100 Film Festival’. Dec 13-15, 2024 | 10 films | 40 cities | 135 cinemas. #100YearsOfRajKapoor,” said the actor, who is the younger daughter of Raj Kapoor’s eldest son Randhir Kapoor.
In one of the pictures shared by Kareena, the prime minister could be seen giving an autograph for her sons, Taimur and Jeh.
Later in the day, Alia, who is married to Raj Kapoor’s grandson Ranbir, said art is “timeless”.
“And sometimes to move forward, we must look back and learn. Mr. Raj Kapoor’s impact was truly global. He marked his footprint all across the world with the movies he made, the stories he told.
“Yesterday was such an honour to be invited by our respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, to spend a lovely afternoon commemorating the life and legend of Mr. Raj Kapoor. Merely listening to his stories, makes me learn so much, and his legacy continues to inspire,” she wrote in an Instagram post. (PTI)
