On arriving in Moscow in the summer of 1982, Raj Kapoor discovered that he’d left behind his visa papers. The actor-director was stopped by immigration. Frantic telephone calls were made. Nobody was sure what was to follow. But they need not have worried. A senior official soon arrived, embraced Kapoor, kissed him on both cheeks and warmly escorted him out.

“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,” actor-director Sanjay Khan, who was also part of the film delegation, is quoted as saying in ‘Raj Kapoor: The Fabulous Showman’ by Bunny Reuben.

Another encounter of the fondest kind further underlines how Kapoor continued to command a hallowed place in the land of Tolstoy and Tarkovsky decades after the Awara craze swept the USSR like a forest fire in 1954.

In 1993, Russian president Boris Yeltsin told Kapoor’s daughter, Ritu Nanda, “I was in love with your father Raj Kapoor, and I remember him even today.” The anecdote is recounted in the book, ‘Raj Kapoor: The One And Only Showman’.

It wasn’t just the post-Stalin Soviet Union. In the 1950s, China, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Greece, North Africa and Eastern Europe were captivated by Kapoor’s movie and its title track. Slowly the film and its title song became an unofficial anthem, a cultural marker and a totem of national recognition.

It was also a diplomatic ice-breaker. TOI reported in 1994 that the then Chinese Premier Li Peng recalled Awara and its title track when he met India’s human resources minister Arjun Singh in Beijing. That hasn’t changed. “Every Chinese knows this movie,” goes a comment on YouTube. Awara anecdotes can fill a book.

As the nation today celebrates the 100th birth anniversary of India’s first actor-director who became a major global star in a pre-globalised era, what better time to re-appraise the magnitude of the impact that Kapoor’s movies have had across the world.

Awara has provided inspiration to much that is popular in Turkish culture: films like Genclik Hulyalari (1962) and Kader Bu (1976), songs and even novels, Turkey based academic and critic Ahmet Gurata told TOI. “A favourite of my mine,” Gurata said, “is a poem by Lale Muldur, which goes like this: ‘“Awaara hoon / Those kids who neither have a Barbie nor a Ken / They always wanted to be visited by Raj Kapoor one night / They would like him to enter their room and bring milk with gold-leaves... and baklava too / How many stories are embedded in the eyes of those shoeshine boys / Who have been paying the price for their genetic sins, / Did you know awaara hoon?”’

Muldur was born in 1956, a year after Awara was released in Turkey. The poem, taken from her ‘Book of Series’ (1991), is yet another testimony to how the gold hearted tramp continues to stir a generation’s imagination.

In his seminal article, ‘The Road to Vagrancy’, Gurata quotes a newspaper advertisement that says “the film was attended by 100,000 spectators during its first week and another 100,000 were unable to watch the film since it had sold out”. He also notes that Awara was voted as the best movie of 1955 by the readers of the popular daily Milliyet, beating Hollywood films such as Roman Holiday (1953) and Limelight (1952). “The film’s director and star Raj Kapoor ranked third on the list of best actors in the Milliyet survey,” he adds.

The title song was a top-selling record and even featured in official functions. “Several Turkish singers circulated it as a Turkish record in music markets. The song literally became part of folk culture when Turkish folklorist Ilhan Basgoz recorded a folk version in 1957,” Gurata writes.

Watching it under the title, ‘The Tramp Of Bombay’, Greeks too were besotted by the Nargis-Raj Kapoor pairing. Many Raj Kapoor films such as Shree 420, Aah, Anhonee, Paapi, Chori Chori, Pyaar, Amber, Sangam and Do Ustad made their way across over the next 10 years, film researchers from Greece say.

Indian films were not only shown in Athens, but also in villages at improvised open-air cinemas during summers. The songs were often rehashed with minor variations by Greek composers, creating a subgenre of such songs called Indo-Prepi.

Helen Abadzi and Manolis Tasoulas, who have extensively researched the influence of Hindi films in Greece, have identified at least 25 Greek songs whose melodies come from songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan for Raj Kapoor films.

“For instance, the song, ‘Ramaiya Vastavaiya’, from the film, ‘Shree 420’, became a Greek song titled, ‘When I kiss him and when he kisses me’, and was sung by Achilleas Koulaxizis and Filitsa in the Greek film drama, ‘Why was I born poor’,” Tasoulas told TOI.

Tasoulas also provides a fascinating anecdote that underlines the popularity of the Nargis-Raj Kapoor pairing. When in the early 1980s, Mehboob Khan’s film, ‘Aan’, was rescreened in Greece, the local advertisers wrote Raj Kapoor and Nargis as protagonists, instead of Dilip Kumar, Nadira and Nimmi, in the Greek posters. “Few understood the difference, because many years had passed since Kapoor’s films had been screened in Greece, and fans did not remember their faces as much as their names,” he says.

‘Sangam’ (1964) floored Iran. Radhu Karmakar, who was Kapoor’s regular cinematographer, writes in his autobiography ‘The Painter of Lights’, that the film was a major hit, especially in South America and Iran, where it ran for over a year. Made approximately on a budget of Rs 1 crore, ‘Sangam’ earned over Rs 12 crore, including Rs 5 crore in foreign exchange, he estimates.

Karmakar remembers how the film’s success helped the Hindujas expand their business. The Hindujas, who distributed the film, invited Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala for the golden jubilee celebrations in Iran and, in turn, got invited to a dinner reception hosted in Tehran by Iran’s ruling family. Karmakar says that the Hindujas “till then were film distributors and contractors, trying unsuccessfully to get bigtime business contracts... The Sangam golden jubilee reception opened the palace doors to the Hindujas and thereafter they moved into the big-time league with large arms contracts and business gains”.

“Everyone also knew the singing-dancing persona of Raj Kapoor in Bulgaria. His popularity was witnessed by many from my generation who grew up in the 1960s. This was mainly courtesy of Awara, which many people had seen more than once,” says Bulgaria-born Dina Iordanova, emeritus professor of global cinema at University of St Andrews, Scotland.

Kapoor, who produced and directed the film and played the male lead, was a prodigious 27-year-old when Awara was released in India in 1951. He created a Hindustani Chaplin — a survivor of class inequity and circumstance (Awara, Shree 420) — and the naive and sentimental underdog with a heart of gold who could stray but eventually return (Shree 420). These stories found a global echo, especially in places of limited cultural freedom. The sloshing of socialism and songs with a slice of the sensuous had an affirmative resonance for millions, converting RK Films into a premier banner. His name was synonymous with Indian cinema. As PM Narendra Modi said in his interaction with the Kapoor family on Wednesday, “He created India’s soft power before the term, soft power, was born.”

K A Abbas, who co-wrote the story with V P Sathe, remembered in his autobiography, ‘No Man Is An Island’, what a student told him during their 1954 USSR visit: “We are tired of the war, we went through it, and now must we relive it in every book we read, in every film or play that we see? Instead of war, we want to see love on the screen, we want to see carefree happiness, we want someone to make us laugh. That’s why we are crazy about Awara.”

Many young students bragged that they’d seen Awara 20-30 times. A young Russian interpreter noticed that a dialogue in the film was borrowed from Krishan Chander’s short story, ‘The Night of The Full Moon’. “No one had noticed it in India,” he wrote.

As Kapoor himself said once, “Awara was my little contribution to USSR-India friendship.”.

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Raj Kapoor was a born serio-comedian whose face conveyed every emotion perfectly. According to Satyajit Ray, Kapoor was a better actor than a director. Mehboob Khan once confessed to Film India editor Baburao Patel that Raj Kapoor perfected his shots in fewer takes than Dilip Kumar.

Kapoor understood his limitations well. He modelled himself along the lines of Charles Chaplin. Kapoor always shared fond memories of his interaction with Chaplin at the latter’s residence in Montreux. Along with Dev and Chetan Anand, Nargis, Balraj Sahni, KA Abbas and Bimal Roy, Kapoor was part of the first Indian film delegation to visit Venice in 1953. Chaplin invited the delegation for a discussion.

During the interaction Kapoor spoke the most. He asked Chaplin how serio-comedy could be performed effortlessly. Chaplin was silent for a minute. Then looking into Kapoor’s eyes, he asked him to emote silently. Kapoor obliged the legend for three minutes. Chaplin was deeply moved by Kapoor’s performance and advised him to follow his own instincts. As they left, Kapoor kept waving to Chaplin with tears of joy in his eyes. Nargis simply told Kapoor to control his emotions, laughing her heart out.

The Kolkata-based writer interviewed Kapoor many times

Dressed in a summery outfit with a hat and sunglasses, Nargis Fakhri was excited to hop on a yacht at the Gateway of India for an early morning sailing session. The actress posed exclusively for Bombay Times as she enjoyed the breeze and tranquility of the ocean.

“I love sailing. It is so peaceful and relaxing when you sail and are surrounded by the ocean. You get to be with yourself and enjoy being amidst Mother Nature. I feel a sense of freedom when I go sailing. The best time to go sailing is either at sunrise or sunset, and never forget to wear sunscreen,” she says.

The Rockstar actress, who hails from New York, says that though there was scope for sailing in the Big Apple, she never tried it there. She shares, “It was in Greece in 2007 that I went sailing for the first time. It is my favourite destination for sailing. I made a lot of friends in Greece, who happened to have boats. That’s how my love for sailing began. So, if you can’t afford boats, make sure you have friends who can afford them (laughs).”

As the yacht hits choppy waters, Nargis draws comparison with the ups and downs in life. Something she has experienced in her career, too. After making her Bollywood debut with Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar, she was seen in films like Madras Café, Main Tera Hero and Housefull 3, and more recently the web show Tatlubaaz. She feels that filmmakers are now looking at her differently.

“My last show Tatlubaaz saw me in a character that I never imagined I could play. I sported desi looks and beautiful saris. It was a challenging role,” she adds.

On the personal front, ask the actress, who is in a relationship, if marriage is on the cards, and she says, “Marriage is something that does not define me. I am very happy where I am in life today. Whether or not it happens, it is not something that I even think about. My life’s journey is more about new experiences. I just want to experience everything in life and that’s my only ambition.”

At 63, actor Neena Gupta took her first solo trip across Europe recently. “I was very nervous because it was the first time that I was going all alone. My friend was supposed to come with me, but she backed out at the last minute,” Gupta tells us.

The Panchayat actor explored the picturesque locales of Europe, including Greece, Italy and Santorini, which she calls her “dream come true moment”. She adds, “Everything was good, but shaam ko thoda akela lagta tha. The whole day I used to explore the places, but in the evening I would feel, ‘Koi saath mein hota toh achha hota’.”

Gupta kept her fans updated through her social media posts. “It was a great trip, but going on a solo holiday is not easy,” says the actor. But she accepts that travelling alone did instil a sense of independence in her and the trip helped her find a few things about herself. “I realised that I am a loner. I never went out in the evening to have dinner. I had my food and slept in my room,” says the Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) actor.

Her daughter, designer and actor Masaba Gupta, was paranoid about her travelling alone. “She kept saying, ‘Why are you going alone?’ She felt guilty that she couldn’t accompany me,” she says, admitting that she “would like to go on such a trip again”.

When Esha Deol learnt that she was in the family way, she decided that she wanted to spin some memories around the arrival of her first child. And her businessman-husband Bharat Takthani was happy to indulge the love of his life.

The couple who tied the knot on June 29, 2012, enjoy travelling and have been to a lot of countries, but this trip was special and Esha wanted to go somewhere new for her Baby-moon. “Greece was recommended by friends and since we both like tropical countries and the beach, it was the perfect getaway,“ smiles Esha radiating the glow of pregnancy.

Leaving nothing to chance, the actress who is expecting her first child towards the year-end, researched every detail of her maternity shoot online, from clothes to locations, and even set up an appointment with a local photographer, Dimitris Psillakis, who specialized in such shoots. After some serious thought, she zeroed in on the island of Santorini as the village of Oia there is famous for its sunsets the world over. “Tourists come to the sunset points hours in advance to get themselves a good perch and the best possible view and selfies. But since it can get a little too crowded then, our photographer advised me to catch the sunrise instead, pointing out that at 6.30 am the light as best,“ she reminisces.

This meant waking up at 5 am and getting ready without a hair-dresser, make-up man or spotboy. “It was just Bharat and me and he helped me iron my dresses, carried my stuff on the VIP ferry and even helped me change,“ she smiles, adding that she did her hair and make-up on her own. “I had bought along the two changes in a separate bag, including the wreath on my head. Dimittis was good and we were done by 9.30 am. I would suggest that every parents-to-be get a maternity shoot done to smile over with their child in later years.“

While most tourists are gung-ho about Athens and The Acropolis, Esha found the steep climb up the hill to the ancient citadel was too difficult to negotiate in her condition. Even Mykonos, crowded with honeymooning couples and young Indian girls who had come there for bachelorettes, while hip and happening, was not the place for an expectant mother and Esha was happy to leave it for Santorini which she describes as a “fairyland“ with its famous whitewashed homes, painted regularly by the house-proud owners.

She met many friendly pregnant women there who would ask her if she was having a son or a daughter. “I'd say we were waiting for the baby to arrive to know its gender, explaining that sex determination tests are banned in India because of the high incidence of female infanticide. They were shocked to learn that in our part of the world the girl child is not always welcome. It makes me sad too. I hope that one day soon, this discrimination ends,“ sighs Esha.

Her mood brightens up when she remembers one particular meal in a local café. Given her South Indian taste buds, she found the local cuisine bland and was craving for something hot, with lots of green chillies, when one night she found herself without transportation as her brother-in-law had gone sightseeing with the car. She was ravenous and cranky as it was around 10.30 pm. “We were walking around when Bharat and I walked stumbled upon this quaint café. I marched in looking murderous. The chef shot Bharat a sympathetic look, admitting his wife was pregnant too and he knew what he was going through. He then asked me what I wanted. I was craving for something really spicy and told him so. I think he dumped all his masalas into the spaghetti he prepared specially for me. It was finger-licking good, the best meal I had in a long time. I came out beaming,“ she flashbacks, adding that another Greek practice that always put a smile on her face was giving out free desserts after a meal. “It was usually crème brulee and sometimes my favourite chocolate mousse. And that gave our Baby-moon its sweet touch.“

Officially called the Hellenic Republic after its historical name Hellas, Greece is the most visited country in the Europe. It is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia. Its capital Athens is the largest city.Ancient Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilisation. This was where democracy took birth, philosophy bloomed and the first Olympic Games was flagged off. Greece's historical legacy is reflected in its 18 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the most in the world. Nargis Fakhri who is no stranger to this country, tells us what fascinates her about the country she has grown to call “a second home“...

FROM TOURIST TO LOCAL
I first visited Greece back in 2007. The eight-day trip turned into a four-month stay. I'd gone as a tourist to Athens and walked through the Acropolis, poured over the exhibits at the Acropolis Museum, toured the Temple of Hephaestus and explored the Parthenon. I was fascinated by the centuries-old cathedrals and roamed the markets. But after I was done with the sightseeing I discovered I didn't want to leave. So I rented a place and signed up with a local modelling agency. I'd take off to the nearby islands for photo shoots for commercials. The money ensured I lived comfortably and could hang out with my new friends. Nine years later, I'm still in touch with a couple of them and attended the wedding of a third, an American girl settled there. The friendships have lasted almost a decade.

SUN AND THE SNOW
I love Greece for its warmth. In summer it's really sunny but I enjoy walking around in the dry heat and swimming in the warm water. The people reflect the warmth of the country. They are caring and nurturing. I get invited to a lot of family dinners. Except for one trip in mid-October, I haven't visited Greece in winter when its wet and chilly. Mountainous areas in the Northwest, like Epirus, Thessaly and Western Macedonia as well as central parts of Peloponnese, get heavy snowfalls. You can go skiing and snowboarding at the ski centre in Mountain Parnassos, two hours from Athens or the Kalavrita Ski Center on Mount Helmos in Peloponessos.

CHANGING TIMES
Except for a three-year break when I was busy with my Bollywood commitments, I have gone back several times. I ended my self-imposed exile just before starting Housefull 3. This year I was there in August. The last few outings have been brief, two-day and four-day breaks. But no matter how short the stay, I've always enjoyed this sunny land and its sunny people. In fact, there are times when I wish I could settle there like my American friend.

Much as I love Greece, I have to admit that it has changed since my first visit. I can see that when I am strolling down the streets. Many of the shops have downed shutters and also some of the clubs where I used to hang out. The ones still around are almost empty, a sad reflection on world economy. I remember how vibrant the country once was when everyone was either clubbing or shopping.

Athens is where the shopping is but being a New Yorker I don't need to go brand-hopping around the globe. In fact, my Greek friends come to my city for shopping. So unless it's something local and traditional like replicas of ancient artifacts, I wouldn't buy anything except beachwear. The islands offer a range of bikinis in vibrant colours.

ISLAND HOPPING
I love the islands, each uniquely different in its own way. Some like Mykonos are the most popular party destinations in the world with the nightlife centred around its beaches like Super Paradise, Paranga and Paradise. Even the historic Rhodes Island and Corfu are great getaways. The Old Towns in both these islands have some chic open-air bars and karaoke nights. Astir Beach or Asteras Vouliagmeni Beach as it is called in Greece, is another favourite with locals and visitors.

The southern most island in the Cyclades chain, Santorini, and Milos are less crowded and quieter. You can be one with unspoilt nature there. Crete, the largest Greek island and home to the legendary Palace of Knossos, is also interesting. You should feast on the local delicacy there-a plate of steamed, fried or grilled snails.

Earlier I liked hanging out at the crowded nightclubs but now I prefer dinner or dessert in one of the rooftop restaurants of Hotel Bretgne, Hotel Safe or Ocean's Basket in Athens which offer an eye-catching view and a sumptuous buffet.

YUMMILICIOUS!
I love the local cuisine which is diverse in both its vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, from spanakotyropita (spinach and cheese pie) to kreatopita (minced meat pie). They have countless varieties of pitas or savoury pies and the Greek salad drizzled in pure olive oil with chunks of Cheddar is to die for. I also binge on garides saganaki (shrimp in spicy tomato sauce with feta cheese) and mousakka (meat and eggplant casserole) and desserts like baklava have me salivating.

Once when I was shooting a swim wear ad at one of the islands, I watched fresh fish, squid and octopus being caught from the sea, chopped up and cooked right before my eyes. That was one of the most amazing meals I have been served. I'm feeling hungry already and can't wait for another sea-food feast.

Chennai-born model-actress Lisa Haydon, who grew up in Australia and the US before moving to Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood, has been in a steady relationship with Dino Lalvani, son of Pakistan-born British entrepreneur Gullu Lalvani for the last one year. In 2008, Dino took over as chairman of his father's company.

The couple made their first public appearance at UNICEF's Halloween Ball at One Mayfair in London, with Swiss financer-businessman Nat Rothschild and his model fiancée, Loretta Basey. Their picture perfect moment on the red carpet of the charity gala to raise funds for Syrian children on October 29, 2015, had the grapevine buzzing. Lisa looked stunning in a purple dress with a Native American headgear while Dino was suave in a blingy blue jacket paired with a magician's hat. More recently, the two made heads turn when Lisa referred to Dino as “my boo“ at a recent Bollywood award ceremony in Spain.

The Housefull 3 actress recently took off to the Queen's City to spend a couple of days with her 41-year-old boyfriend before they left for Greece's Mykonos islands last Friday. South Eastern Europe seems to be their favourite destination. This is their third visit there. The 30-year-old actress shared an image of herself perched on Dino's lap on the social media, decorating it with seven emojis - shells, sun, boy, wine, chocolate, cake and hearts - to underline how she feels after a great dinner with her beau.

During the three-week holiday the love birds spent some quality time together at exotic, secluded resorts, feasted on Mediterranean cuisine and delicacies from the Balkan region in Spili and sunbathed at Alemagou beach. Lisa wore a swimsuit with 'troublemaker' emblazoned on it and posted pictures of herself goofing around in a private pool with Dino. Ahh love!

This month-end, Shahid Kapoor will reportedly host a bachelor party abroad (likely in Greece). The actor, who is readying for his wedding in the second week of July to Delhi girl Mira Rajput, is arranging and re-arranging his date diary because despite his best efforts, he has too many personal and professional
commitments to meet.

A source says, “Sasha is going round the bend. He has to complete a schedule for Udta Punjab and shoot for the promotional material of his next film. He has also been approached to judge a dance reality show. And in between, he has a bachelor party planned overseas.“

Friends of Shahid Kapoor's bride-to-be, Mira Rajput, hosted a bridal shower for her on Saturday night. Even though Shahid was quoted telling the media that the wedding will take place “at the end of the year“, sources have confirmed to us that the marriage will happen in early June in Greece.

Organised at Mira's Chattarpur farms residence in Delhi, the bash saw college friends of the 20-year-old in attendance. Mira cut a pretty picture in her peach off-shoulder gown, and happily posed for pictures with her friends, some of which were later posted on social media by them. The place was done up with pictures of the soon-to-be-married couple. It is still not clear whether Shahid was part of the bash or not, as friends have been asked to remain tightlipped about the wedding.

The couple got engaged on January 14 this year, after Shahid's father, actor Pankaj Kapur, fixed the alliance. Mira has just graduated from Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College, after pursuing English Honours.