Forty years ago,a beautiful Russian trapeze artist had romanced Rishi Kapoor in the film Mera Naam Joker. Her name was Marina,played by the petite Kseniya Ryabinkina and their brief unspoken love was full of shy smiles and coy glances. Now,for the first time since that 1970 classic,the Moscow-based Ryabinkina and Kapoor reunite on screen in Chintuji,and their pairing is as heartwarming as ever; shes still
gorgeous and hes still cute.
For the last few years,Ryabinkina had been dreaming of visiting India.
When the offer for Chintuji came,I was more excited about meeting Rishi than acting in the film, she smiles,her eyes twinkling. She was a professional ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy when Mera Naam Joker happened,though Raj Kapoor cast her as a trapeze artist in a circus. Although she stopped performing at the age of 40,Ryabinkina still teaches young girls the nuances of ballet at a government academy.
Even if age does not permit me to dance,I can still train the next generation of ballerinas. But acting is my prime passion these days, she adds,having wrapped up shooting for her eleventh Russian film last October.