He was a father figure to me: Nitin Mukesh on his bond with Raj Kapoor. Mumbai, The friendship between Raj Kapoor and Mukesh is well documented in the annals of Hindi cinema, but what remains relatively unknown is how the legendary filmmaker mentored the singer’s son, Nitin Mukesh, through both his personal and professional journey over the years.
Mukesh sang over 100 songs for Raj Kapoor in films, including “Awara”, “Anari”, “Shree 420”, “Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai”, “Sangam”, and “Mera Naam Joker”, becoming the almost exclusive singing voice in majority of his movies. The two were so close that Raj Kapoor famously said “I have lost my voice” when Mukesh died in 1976.
Nitin Mukesh too had a special relationship with the actor-filmmaker whose 100th birth anniversary was marked on December 14.
“God has forgotten to make human beings like him and my father. Where will you see such bonding and friendships these days? Raj uncle got me into playback singing and shows but he would still keep a check on me. Emotionally, I would look up to him.
“It all started because of Raj uncle. That’s his role in my life, and I worship him. He was a father figure, because my father was not around, he took it upon himself to settle me and my family. He was there at every step for me, till he was not there,” the singer told PTI in an interview.
Recalling the time he “crushed” his father’s dreams when he returned to Mumbai from London before completing his studies, Nitin Mukesh said it was Raj Kapoor who pacified Mukesh.
“Raj uncle said, ‘Nitin has come back but don’t consider this as failure,’ and instantly made me sing for ‘Mera Naam Joker’,” he said, referring to an iteration of Gracie Fields’ song “Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye”.
The singer, also known for songs such as “So Gaya Yeh Jahan” , “Zindagi Ki Na Toote Ladi” , and “Hanste Hanste” , said the filmmaker let him try his hand at film distribution and gave his father the rights to “Mera Naam Joker”, ensuring he didn’t lose a penny when the 1970 film flopped.
“That’s how he was involved in my life,” he added.
Despite their contrasting backgrounds, Raj Kapoor and Mukesh were “destined” to be friends for life, recalled the 74-year-old.
“There was a world of difference between his stature and that of my father, who came to Mumbai and was not educated and had to go through a big struggle. At that time, for two people to meet and be attracted to each other’s creativity was nothing short of a miracle.
“It was divine intervention that Papa and Raj uncle met and took to each other like fish to water, or, as he would say, ‘soul to a body or a body to a soul’.”
As Nitin Mukesh progressed in his career, Raj Kapoor continued to mentor him, encouraging him to take bold steps.
One notable instance was when many industry insiders advised against the singer singing “Woh Aurat Hai Tu Mehbooba” in 1978’s “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” as it was originally meant to be sung by his father Mukesh.
But Raj Kapoor had faith in Nitin Mukesh’s abilities and allowed him to sing the song picturised on Shashi Kapoor, his younger brother, and leading lady Zeenat Aman, for whom Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice.
“The industry took notice of the song and soon Manoj Kumar ji made me sing for his movies like ‘Kranti’ and ‘Santosh’. Laxmikant-Pyarelal ji made me sing for other films. I never looked back,” he said.
Raj Kapoor’s affection for the Mukesh family extended beyond work as the filmmaker would frequently visit their home with presents.
The screen icon, who used to call Nitin Mukesh ‘Goldie Baba’, once gifted him an air conditioner, he recalled.
From birthdays, wedding anniversaries to festivals, the Mukesh and Kapoor families celebrated every occasion, big or small, together.
“December 14 was a free party for everyone in the film industry, and the who’s who would descend at Raj uncle’s house. We would spend quality time there,” the singer recounted.
At parties, Raj Kapoor and Mukesh would be “inseparable”.
“They would sing and entertain other guests. One could see their camaraderie and respect for each other. The governor, chief minister of the state, and other big luminaries were invited but Mukesh would be by his side. Raj uncle had many friends and many people were close to him but he had a different fondness for Papa,” Nitin Mukesh said.
The singer said his world came “crashing down” when Raj Kapoor died at Delhi’s AIIMS a month after receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on May 2, 1988.
Nitin Mukesh remembers his frequent visits to the hospital and singing one of Raj Kapoor’s favourite songs, “Bahut Diya Denewale Ne Tujhko”, originally sung by his father for a non-Raj Kapoor movie, 1962’s “Soorat Aur Seerat”.
“When he was in the ICU, Krishna aunty once told me, ‘Take blessings from uncle and sing the song’. Both of us got emotional and we could see tears trickle down from his eyes while he was on the ventilator. This was one week before he passed away. I had his blessings right till the end,” he said.
