'Raj Kapoor 100': Mukherjee's 'Anand' was born from Kapoor's illness
What's the story
India is set to celebrate Raj Kapoor's enduring legacy with an upcoming film festival.
Ahead of the event, here's a little-known fact about India's greatest showman: the 1971 Hindi film Anand, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, was inspired by Kapoor's illness.
In a 1998 interview with Rediff, Mukherjee revealed that the idea for Anand stemmed from his friendship with the actor-filmmaker when Kapoor was unwell.
He described Anand as "a kind of biography," written during Kapoor's illness.
Character inspiration
Kapoor's positivity during illness inspired the central character
Kapoor battled asthma in his later years and passed away in 1988 due to complications from the disease. He was 63.
Despite his illness, he was always cheerful and spread joy around him.
This positivity inspired Mukherjee deeply, who infused the same spirit into the character of Anand, played by Rajesh Khanna in the film.
"He (Kapoor) was suffering from a pulse problem, but he still managed to smile and spread happiness around," Mukherjee recalled.
Personal reflection
Mukherjee's personal connection to 'Anand'
During the same interview, Mukherjee also revealed that he saw himself in the character played by Amitabh Bachchan, who constantly worried about losing his friend.
"I used to think if something happens to him (Kapoor), what will happen to me? We all were worried about him, and he would be smiling always. The same way Amitabh would worry, and Rajesh would brush it off," Mukherjee shared.
Filming timeline
'Anand' was filmed in just 30 days
Mukherjee also revealed Anand was wrapped up in a mere 30 days. "I made Anand in 30 days, and I was confident of what I shot."
Although the film was named Anand, Mukherjee saw Bachchan as the hero, not Khanna.
"He (Bachchan) is there throughout the film...and through him, we get to know the story," he said.
Beyond Anand, Mukherjee is also credited with other iconic films like Golmaal, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, and Mili.
The esteemed filmmaker died in 2006.