Why Kapoor's was a wonderful world

There is a gentleness to the lore around Raj Kapoor, and such immense heart to his films. They really don't make them like this anymore

- Poonam Saxena

This may be our final tribute to him, for a while.

Raj Kapoor would have been 101 today. This marks the end of a widely celebrated centenary year. In addition to coverage across newspapers and online, there have been tributes such as Netflix's Dining with the Kapoors, which was a pleasant watch, though it barely skimmed the surface of his persona.

It didn't dwell very much, for instance, on the stories around the showman that are legion: his passion for the perfect shot, obsession with his heroines, love of food and whisky.

My favourite stories about him include the one of his first meeting with Nargis. "A fat blue-eyed pinkie" had come to her house, she told a friend. Then, while shooting Aag (1948), his directorial debut, she said to the same friend, "Pinkie has started getting fresh with me". The two would fall in love; it wasn't meant to be. Kapoor was married. Nargis would go on to marry Sunil Dutt (after he famously rushed into a burning set to save her).

I have a particular fondness for Hindifilm lore from this era. Some of it is so eccentric, yet so gentle. Like Kapoor's love for his Johnnie Walker, but only if it was bought in London. If it was sourced any other way, he became deeply suspicious and wouldn't drink it.