"He was like a spitfire": Parikshit Sahni recalls his experience of assisting Raj Kapoor in 'Mera Naam Joker'

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 15 (ANI): Veteran actor Parikshit Sahni, known for his memorable performances in films and television, reminisced about his brief stint as an assistant to legendary filmmaker and actor Raj Kapoor during the making of the iconic movie 'Mera Naam Joker', before he went on to pursue acting full-time.
Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker is regarded as one of the greatest and most ambitious films in the Hindi cinema industry. The movie, directed and produced by Raj Kapoor, featured him in the lead role alongside Rishi Kapoor and Simi Garewal.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Parikshit Sahni revealed that Raj Kapoor personally invited him to work as an Assistant Director (AD) on the film.
The actor was joined by Randhir Kapoor for the same position in the production.
"Raj Ji called me to be one of his assistants while he was doing 'Mera Naam Joker', in which there was a Russian circus that was to be filmed. I was with him for a while as an interpreter of the circus. Dabu, his elder son, Randhir Kapoor, was also present. I was with Rajji for about a year, I think," Sahni said.
Reflecting on his experience of working under the iconic filmmaker, Sahni described Raj Kapoor as a dynamic and passionate director who brought unmatched energy to the sets.
"He was like a spitfire. He would never sit down. There was a chair for him, but he got so excited when he was directing that he would never sit down. He used to get so tired by the end of the evening that he had a special little cottage in which everybody sat till two o'clock in the morning. At the same time, Randhir and I would stand quietly against the wall while he sat," said Parikshit Sahni.
During the conversation, the 'Gul Gulshan Gulfam' actor shifted from the professional admiration for Raj Kapoor to his last emotional moment..
Sahni recalled his last conversation with Raj Kapoor in which the latter talked about remembering the actor's parents.
"He called me only when he was told that he had a very bad disease that he wouldn't survive. Then, one day, he called the entire film industry. He couldn't even. He told me, the last thing I remember is, he told me, 'come and sit with me'. I think he couldn't talk. He put his arm around me and said, I remember your dad. I remember your mother," added Parikshit Sahni.
Raj Kapoor, fondly remembered as the 'Showman of Indian Cinema,' made his first on-screen appearance as a child artist in the 1935 film 'Inquilab'. His major breakthrough came with 'Neel Kamal' (1947), opposite Madhubala. In 1948, he founded his own banner, RK Films, which went on to produce several classics.
On the personal front, the evergreen actor Raj Kapoor married Krishna Kapoor in 1946, and the couple had five children, including Randhir, Ritu, Rishi, Rima, and Rajiv Kapoor.
As for Parikshit Sahni, who later emerged as a distinguished actor in his own right, is known for his work alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Shatrughan Sinha, as well as his collaborations with filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani in several hit films starring Aamir Khan and Sanjay Dutt.
Sahni has appeared in notable films and television serials, including Pavitra Paapi, Kabhie Kabhie, and Gul Gulshan Gulfam, earning widespread acclaim for his versatile performances. (ANI)