100th birth anniversary special: When Raj Kapoor got a red carpet welcome in Moscow despite a MAJOR blunder: “Is there ANYBODY else in the world who could enter Soviet Russia WITHOUT a valid visa? It was a sight for the Gods”

By Fenil Seta -

December 15, 2024 - 2:00 PM IST

Yesterday, December 14, was the 100th birth anniversary of the legendary Raj Kapoor. His contribution is immense and hence, the Kapoor family has gone all out to celebrate his centenary. They met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this occasion and even held a three-day film festival, showcasing his classics. The festival is going on right now and has got a tremendous response. In this article, we’ll delve into the lesser-known aspects of Raj Kapoor and the impact of his films.

100th birth anniversary special: When Raj Kapoor got a red carpet welcome in Moscow despite a MAJOR blunder: “Is there ANYBODY else in the world who could enter Soviet Russia WITHOUT a valid visa? It was a sight for the Gods”

It is a known fact that Raj Kapoor’s films like Awara (1951) achieved cult status in Russia (then USSR) when it was released there in 1954. But even nearly 30 years later, the Showman benefited from it and even got out of a sticky situation. In the summer of 1982, Raj Kapoor landed in Moscow and to his horror, he realized that he had forgotten his visa papers in Mumbai. As expected, he was stopped at the immigration section. He and his team made frantic calls and expected the worst.

This is when a senior official arrived and recognized Raj Kapoor. He kissed him on both cheeks and warmly escorted him out! Actor-director Sanjay Khan, who was a witness to this episode, spoke about it in the book ‘Raj Kapoor: The Fabulous Showman’ by Bunny Reuben. Sanjay is quoted in the book saying, “Is there anybody else in the whole wide world who could enter Soviet Russia without a valid visa? You should have seen that sight — it was a sight for the Gods.”

This incident was reported in The Times Of India dated December 14 and it chronicled the global achievements of Raj Kapoor. The impact of his films in Russia and China is known but this article also reported about not-so-known instances of how his film travelled to many more territories. However, nothing beats the way Raj Kapoor became a craze in the USSR, as evident by the aforementioned 1982 incident. Raj Kapoor himself once said, “Awara was my little contribution to USSR-India friendship.”

Also Read: Alia Bhatt shares star-studded moments from Raj Kapoor’s 100th anniversary: “Coming together to celebrate the eternal showman”