I remember how, during the shoot of "Ram Teri Ganga Maili" (1985), they meticulously created a mini Benaras within the studio. Raj Kapoor created the ghats of Benaras and the river Ganga with so much perfection that it all looked real. It was such a unique creation that people would drop by just to see the set!
A remarkable thing about Raj Kapoor was that he would keep his sets intact until he was completely satisfied with every scene of a film. He did this in case he had to re-shoot a scene , or if anything needed to be added or edited.
So, long after the shoot was over, the set stood intact. Benaras stood in RK Studio for a full three months, I remember!
Raj Kapoor was Asia's greatest showman and had a fascination for extravagant sets. Everything used to be larger than life in his films. Which means, even his sets were larger than life. He was fond of lavish sets and had his team of art directors and staff on the payroll. Be it "Bobby" or "Mera Naam Joker," "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" or "Prem Rog", the sets in an RK film were always huge in size and beautiful. His films were a cut above the rest. He was a very imaginative and innovative person, which reflected in every aspect of his work, including his sets.
And since his sets stood intact for months, RK Studio will always be synonymous with the grand sets that were built within its walls once upon a time.
Raj Kapoor also used to preserve the costumes from each of his films inside the studio premise, starting from his early films such as "Aag" and "Barsaat." Most of these costumes were destroyed in the fire two years ago.
For me, the place was like a temple a place of worship. From the core of my heart, I wanted RK Studio to remain as it is. I felt sad when I came to know that RK Studio has been demolished. Whoever has ever been associated with the iconic studio, will feel the same way, I am sure.
Raj Kapoor built RK studio with his sweat and blood. For him, it was a part of his life.
(As told to Ahana Bhattacharya/)
( With inputs from IANS )