Key Points

Ranbir Kapoor shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story about his grandfather's creative process. He revealed how Raj Kapoor used a clever telegram to convince Vyjayanthimala to join the film Sangam. The telegram's wording actually became the lyrics for one of the movie's most famous songs. This charming anecdote shows how classic Bollywood moments were born from simple, creative solutions.

Key Points: Ranbir Kapoor Reveals Raj Kapoor Telegram Created Sangam Song

  • Raj Kapoor sent telegram to convince Vyjayanthimala for Sangam role
  • Telegram phrase became famous song lyrics in the film
  • Ranbir discussed his film school training at Lee Strasberg Institute
  • He admitted being product of nepotism but emphasized hard work
  • Ranbir learned method acting while assisting Sanjay Leela Bhansali
  • Actor revealed his acting method evolves with each director
3 min read

Ranbir Kapoor recalls Raj Kapoor's telegram to Vyjayanthimala led to creation of 'Bol Radha Bol Sangam Hoga Ki Nahi'

Ranbir Kapoor shares how Raj Kapoor's telegram to Vyjayanthimala inspired "Bol Radha Bol Sangam Hoga Ki Nahi" song lyrics during film negotiations.

"Bol Radha Bol Sangam Hoga Ki Nahi? - Raj Kapoor's telegram to Vyjayanthimala"

Mumbai, October 9

Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor recalled how his grandfather, the legendary actor Raj Kapoor, sent a telegram to veteran actress Vyjayanthimala, convincing her to join the 1964 romantic musical drama, 'Sangam'.

He shared the making of the song. "I remember while making the music of 'Sangam', my grandfather Raj Kapoor wanted Vyjayanthimala to play the role of Radha, and she did not agree, I don't know for what reason. Aur uus time phone call nahi hote the, telegram bheja jata tha. So, Mr. Raj Kapoor, being frustrated, sent a telegram to Vyjayanthimala. The film's name was 'Sangam' and her character's name was Radha and he said 'Bol Radha Bol Sangam Hoga Ki Nahi?' And the actress wrote back saying 'Hoga, Hoga Hoga.' And that became the lyrics of the song."

He was speaking during a special session in Subhash Ghai's annual 'Celebrate Cinema' festival at Whistling Woods International (WWI). The session, moderated by Subhash Ghai, featured Ranbir alongside noted director Rahul Rawail.

He also spoke about method acting and drawing inspiration from iconic filmmakers such as Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor.

Ranbir was born in the illustrious Kapoor family and is son of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor and the grandson of legendary actor Raj Kapoor.

"I'm a product of nepotism and I got it very easy in my life but I always had to work hard because I realised that I come from a family like this and if I don't have an individualistic approach, I'll not succeed in the film industry."

The Animal actor recalled assisting Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the 2005 film Black, "From childhood, I started learning acting... I went to a film school, the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, and spent a year there. When I came to Mumbai, I assisted Mr. Bhansali on Black. I think between these years, I got to know what it takes to be a working professional. "

He added, "The method keeps evolving. The method I learnt at Lee Strasberg, I didn't quite really understand it. When I saw Mr Bhansali directing actors like Mr Bachchan and Rani, and saw him put a shot, I was taking notice and studying it. There is no fixed method; actors have to be flexible. You have to be an employee of the director's vision. When I worked with different directors in my career, my method kept changing with them.."

Meanwhile, on the work front, Ranbir will play Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's much-awaited two-part epic Ramayana. He was most recently seen in the Netflix show The Ba*ds of Bollywood in a cameo role.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Respect for Ranbir acknowledging nepotism but also emphasizing hard work. Many star kids don't have this self-awareness. Looking forward to his Ramayana - hope he does justice to Lord Ram's character! 🙏
S
Sarah B
The telegram story is so charming! Imagine creating an entire song from a simple exchange. Old Bollywood had such creative problem-solving. Today it would just be a WhatsApp message and the magic would be lost.
R
Rohit P
While I appreciate his honesty about nepotism, I wish he'd acknowledge that his struggles are still very different from outsiders. But credit where it's due - he's one of the better actors from film families.
M
Meera T
My grandfather used to tell us stories about Raj Kapoor's genius. This telegram anecdote is exactly why he's called the Showman. Pure creativity! Wish we had more such filmmakers today.
D
David E
Interesting to see how method acting is approached differently in Indian cinema. Ranbir's journey from Lee Strasberg to working with Bhansali shows how actors adapt their craft across cultures.

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