Age has its own Advantages

‘Age has its own Advantages’

By

J.L.Gupta

Age has its own advantages. You see more. The other day I saw Ranbir Kapoor on television talking to his father Rishi Kapoor in the voice of Amitabh Bachchan. Rishi’s response was natural. “Yes Sir ....!” But the icing on the cake was when, a while later, Mr. Bachchan actually rang up Rishi and said “Chintu! This is Amitabh Bachchan from KBC.” Rishi’s immediate reaction was, “Do not try to fool me. I just spoke to him.”

Almost spontaneously, the mind went back by more than fifty years. To the late fifties. To my almamater. The packed auditorium in the Government College, Chandigarh. As usual, the Principal, Mr. K.S. Thapar was on the stage. In his suit and academic gown, with a distinguished guest – Shri Prithviraj Kapoor, the famous Actor. He was visiting the College as a part of the programme to familiarise the students with the best in every field. This was a regular practice in the college which gave the students a good exposure.  

It was a really cold day. A chilly wind was blowing. Yet, the place was packed to capacity.

The Principal gave a brief introduction. And then, the students requested Mr. Kapoor to give them a glimpse of the characters that he liked. ‘From Shakespeare?’ he asked. Hearing the response, he moved a little. Soon, we were hearing Antony’s impassioned oration in Julius Caesar:

            “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

            I have come to bury Caesar, Not to praise him.

            The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interred with their bones;

            So let it be with Caesar ................................”

And then, it was Brutus’s reasoned eloquence:

                        “Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause,

 ... If there be any in this assembly,

any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say, that Brutus’s love to Caesar

was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against

Caesar, this is my answer – not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved

Rome more. ...........................................................”

Then, he just covered his head a little with the collar, moved slightly away from the microphone. Now, it was Othello (the face looking as dark as Shakespeare would have liked without any makeup having been applied) talking of his beloved Desdemona’s unfaithfulness:

“O curse of marriage,

That we can call these delicate creatures ours,

And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,

And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,

Than keep a corner in the thing I love

For others’ uses.”

And then, he performed briefly from a Hindustani rendition of Kabuliwallah. The switch over from chaste English to Hindustani was totally effortless. Everyone was awestruck.

Thus, the function had ended. But some of us were very lucky. The Principal had asked us to join him for lunch in his office. At that time the venerable old man was in his elements. Made everyone totally comfortable. Talked freely like a true Panjabi. Thoroughly enjoyed his meal and coaxed others to eat more. Clearly, we were in the presence of a versatile personality.

Less than two decades later, the family met his son, Shri Raj Kapoor. On a holiday in Kashmir. Men of my generation knew him well for his role in Awara; Sangam and so many other films. He could make people cry and laugh at any time.

Then came Rishi Kapoor. His performance in Bobby proved his great lineage. And now, seeing Ranbir Kapoor mimic a person far senior to him, on the sets of KBC, it was obvious that the great grandson of Shri Prithviraj Kapoor is truly a young man with talent and proves the theory that “living organisms inherit features from their ancestors.”

Happy to have seen four generations perform.