The large, meditative statue of Lord Shiva outside and decorative pagoda roofs can give one the impression that the building is a temple. While not an accurate guess, it isn't entirely off the mark either. In a nation where films are a religion, a structure built in memory of 'The Show Man' Raj Kapoor is something of a shrine.
Located in Loni-Kalbhor on the outskirts of Pune, the memorial that has been six years in the making opened recently. The Shiva idol is a nod to Kapoor's 1978 film Satyam Shivam Sundaram and the pagodas, in a rather far-fetched manner, draw from a reference to Japan in a song from Shree 420. The mostly sleepy village became the museum's venue because of a historic connection with the actor-director. Kapoor bought the sprawling Rajbaug Farms where it stands from a Parsi man he befriended at the horse races in Pune.
The filmmaker decided to bequeath the over 100-acre farm for the purpose of education. Subsequently, his wife Krishna was introduced to Vishwanath Karad, founder of the Maharashtra Institute of Technology who set up institutes of design, food technology, music and journalism on the land.
Painted in startling hues of pink, red, blue and yellow, the memorial seems like an inadvertent tribute to the palette of the Eastman colour era. It uses statues to show the life of Kapoor and scenes from his films. The 50-odd sculptures are housed under various categories - on Raj Kapoor's films, villains, comedy artists, musicians, legendary actors and actresses of Indian cinema as well as some offscreen moments. The curators have sourced a rare picture of the competing trio Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar with Jawaharlal Nehru as well as the last image of the actor taken before his death.
Most interesting is the opening display with candid photographs of the Kapoor family. Then the museum widens its intent, perhaps to beat the tedium of Kapoor memorabilia, leading somewhat abruptly into a section on Marathi cinema with pictures and figures of stars like Chandrakant, Nilu Phule and Sulochana. Another segment pays homage to landmark films such as Guide and Mother India.
However, there is a noticeable lack of signs or literature to help visitors connect the dots. The only accompaniment provided at the moment is audio-based. A small spotlight hovers over each figure, modelled after Kapoor or other characters from his cast, setting them aglow one by one and playing a dialogue or song from the various films. The caretaker Rameshwari has to sometimes step in to identify films for visitors.
The memorial also holds the ashes of Raj Kapoor and his parents. They rest in a room clad in rich Makrana marble under an original Shiva ling used in an RK film. The domed ceilings in each pagoda have designs and embedded lights, but the experience is marred owing to erratic power supply in the village. Two groups of sculptors, one from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan and another from Maharashtra, worked on the statues.
Envisioned and funded by MIT's Karad, it is an extravagant memorial built for a mostly simple man. A lucky peek into Kapoor's holiday home, which is not public, reveals a spartan lifestyle. The influence of hill architecture is evident in the stone facade, cross beam ceilings, wooden flooring and staircases, and patio-style windows and doors. Though the hall is filled with photographs today, it hosted only one picture of Sai Baba during Kapoor's lifetime.
The actor-director's indulgences were in the form of pigeons, horses and a large rose garden. While the horses are gone, the birds and flowers are looked after painstakingly even today. Their gardener of 40 years, Ragunath Kamble, whose answer to most questions is a smile, still works there. "He'd yell at his team asking them to hurry during shooting, but he was always nice to the staff," recalls the 88-year-old.
Kapoor used the holiday home to shoot films, including Mera Naam Joker, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Bobby's legendary song "Hum tum ek kamre mein". The quaint village that it was, Loni-Kalbhor allowed him to film without disruptions. After wrapping up for the day, the crew could gather around a bonfire for a drink.
The only other things this village is known for are a large fuel depot and its proximity to the Poonawalla Stud Farms and Uruli Kanchan, where Mahatma Gandhi had set up a naturopathy centre. The picturesque Mula-Mutha river flows quietly in the background, before bloating and snarling when water from the Mulshi dam is released into it.
Kapoor's contribution to cinema is much celebrated but his RK Films banner has largely faded as no films have been made by it since 1999. The state of archives and museums related to cinema is generally bad, like the National Museum of Indian Cinema which has been struck by delays. The rise of a large museum is encouraging but it remains to be seen how many film buffs will make a pilgrimage to far-flung Loni-Kalbhor.
Located in Loni-Kalbhor on the outskirts of Pune, the memorial that has been six years in the making opened recently. The Shiva idol is a nod to Kapoor's 1978 film Satyam Shivam Sundaram and the pagodas, in a rather far-fetched manner, draw from a reference to Japan in a song from Shree 420. The mostly sleepy village became the museum's venue because of a historic connection with the actor-director. Kapoor bought the sprawling Rajbaug Farms where it stands from a Parsi man he befriended at the horse races in Pune.
The filmmaker decided to bequeath the over 100-acre farm for the purpose of education. Subsequently, his wife Krishna was introduced to Vishwanath Karad, founder of the Maharashtra Institute of Technology who set up institutes of design, food technology, music and journalism on the land.
Painted in startling hues of pink, red, blue and yellow, the memorial seems like an inadvertent tribute to the palette of the Eastman colour era. It uses statues to show the life of Kapoor and scenes from his films. The 50-odd sculptures are housed under various categories - on Raj Kapoor's films, villains, comedy artists, musicians, legendary actors and actresses of Indian cinema as well as some offscreen moments. The curators have sourced a rare picture of the competing trio Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar with Jawaharlal Nehru as well as the last image of the actor taken before his death.
Most interesting is the opening display with candid photographs of the Kapoor family. Then the museum widens its intent, perhaps to beat the tedium of Kapoor memorabilia, leading somewhat abruptly into a section on Marathi cinema with pictures and figures of stars like Chandrakant, Nilu Phule and Sulochana. Another segment pays homage to landmark films such as Guide and Mother India.
However, there is a noticeable lack of signs or literature to help visitors connect the dots. The only accompaniment provided at the moment is audio-based. A small spotlight hovers over each figure, modelled after Kapoor or other characters from his cast, setting them aglow one by one and playing a dialogue or song from the various films. The caretaker Rameshwari has to sometimes step in to identify films for visitors.
The memorial also holds the ashes of Raj Kapoor and his parents. They rest in a room clad in rich Makrana marble under an original Shiva ling used in an RK film. The domed ceilings in each pagoda have designs and embedded lights, but the experience is marred owing to erratic power supply in the village. Two groups of sculptors, one from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan and another from Maharashtra, worked on the statues.
Envisioned and funded by MIT's Karad, it is an extravagant memorial built for a mostly simple man. A lucky peek into Kapoor's holiday home, which is not public, reveals a spartan lifestyle. The influence of hill architecture is evident in the stone facade, cross beam ceilings, wooden flooring and staircases, and patio-style windows and doors. Though the hall is filled with photographs today, it hosted only one picture of Sai Baba during Kapoor's lifetime.
The actor-director's indulgences were in the form of pigeons, horses and a large rose garden. While the horses are gone, the birds and flowers are looked after painstakingly even today. Their gardener of 40 years, Ragunath Kamble, whose answer to most questions is a smile, still works there. "He'd yell at his team asking them to hurry during shooting, but he was always nice to the staff," recalls the 88-year-old.
Kapoor used the holiday home to shoot films, including Mera Naam Joker, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Bobby's legendary song "Hum tum ek kamre mein". The quaint village that it was, Loni-Kalbhor allowed him to film without disruptions. After wrapping up for the day, the crew could gather around a bonfire for a drink.
The only other things this village is known for are a large fuel depot and its proximity to the Poonawalla Stud Farms and Uruli Kanchan, where Mahatma Gandhi had set up a naturopathy centre. The picturesque Mula-Mutha river flows quietly in the background, before bloating and snarling when water from the Mulshi dam is released into it.
Kapoor's contribution to cinema is much celebrated but his RK Films banner has largely faded as no films have been made by it since 1999. The state of archives and museums related to cinema is generally bad, like the National Museum of Indian Cinema which has been struck by delays. The rise of a large museum is encouraging but it remains to be seen how many film buffs will make a pilgrimage to far-flung Loni-Kalbhor.
Raj Kapoor Memorial is located at Rajbaug Educational Complex, Loni-Kalbhor, Taluka-Haveli, Pune (9822858999, 9850665019, 020-32344394). It is open on all days from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm. Entry is free.