Rishi Kapoor graces BRICS film festival opening ceremony in Delhi

At the opening ceremony of the first

BRICS film festival

in Delhi on Friday, chief guest Rishi Kapoor shared some interesting details about the love that his father Raj Kapoor had for the two participating nations '

Russia

and China. Reciting the lyrics of a song from '

Shree 420

', Rishi Kapoor said, 'Raj Kapoor ne salon pehle gaya tha ' 'Mera joota jai Japani, yeh patloon Englishtani, sar pe lal topi Rusi, phir bhi dil hai Hindustani'. Phir woh 1960s mein '

Mera Naam Joker

' bana rahe thay. He was in talks with a Russian circus to be part of the film. He had to be in Moscow, which was then part of the

Soviet Union

. He went there thinking he had the visa, which he didn't. But he was still welcomed there. While he was waiting for a taxi outside the airport, the news of him being in Moscow spread. When he got inside the taxi, he realised that the taxi was not moving forward, but was going up instead! Logon ne unki taxi ko kandhe par utha liya tha.'

Rishi had another story about his father's connection with China. He said, 'In the 1980s, when we didn't really have good relations with China, they had told our government that they wanted Raj Kapoor to travel to their country. When the ministry spoke to Raj Kapoor, he got excited. He was very fond of Chinese food. He told my mother

Krishna Kapoor

, 'I am going to China and you are coming with me.' But a few days later, he told her that he had decided not to go.' He added, 'Jab unhone poochha kyun, toh Raj Kapoor ne kaha China ke logon ne 1950s ke uss Raj Kapoor ko dekha hai jo jawan tha, handsome tha. Main ab waisa nahin dikhta, unhe wohi Raj Kapoor yaad rehna chahiye.' And he never went to China.'

Rishi, who was also felicitated at the event, said that it is 'the magic of cinema' that his family has spent more than 80 years in the industry.'

A tale of two countries
Russia: He had to be in Moscow, which was then in the Soviet Union, and he went there thinking he had the visa, which he didn't have. But he was still welcomed there. While he was waiting for a taxi outside the airport, the news of him being in Moscow spread. When he got inside the taxi, he realised that the taxi was not moving forward, but was going up instead! Logon ne unki taxi ko kandhe par utha liya tha.

China: He was very fond of Chinese food. He told my mother Krishna Kapoor, 'I am going to China and you are coming with me.' But a few days later, he told her that he has decided not to go. Jab unhone poochha kyun, toh Raj Kapoor ne kaha China ke logon ne 1950s ke uss Raj Kapoor ko dekha hai jo jawan tha, handsome tha. Unhe wahi Raj Kapoor yaad rehna chahiye.