‘I slapped Raj Kapoor so hard, my fingers were imprinted on his face’: Kidar Sharma offered him a film next day, sold his home and wife’s jewellery to make it

He further added, “I told him hand over his son to me, I am like a school master, and I will straighten him up. However, he should never interfere in between and he agreed. Raj Kapoor became my disciple in a way, touched my feet. I told him that he was my third assistant, he can write scripts and then will get a chance to give the clap on set.”

The director soon gave Raj the duty to handle the clap board on set. He said, “After a few days, I felt that this boy is intelligent, good looking and the son of my good friend Prithviraj, I still kept a strong eye on him. One fine day, when Prithviraj’s film Gauri’s shoot was going on, we were shooting an old man’s character and the shot had to be taken against the sunlight. I gave Raj the duty to click the clap board.”

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But, he observed that Raj Kapoor was more focused on grooming himself first. “However, I saw something that I never did in a clapper boy. Before clapping, he used to comb his hair, give clap after composing, then even take portions from first assistant, and used to ask cameraman about the key light. I used to tolerate all this.”

Kidar continued, “That day, I requested him to not do that today, because we would have to travel 40 miles again, only one shot was left. He agreed and said that he won’t do that. But, he did it again, combed his hair, composed, didn’t pay attention there, the actor’s beard got caught in between the clap board, when he tried to separate it, the beard also came off with it.”

Raj Kapoor and Madhubala first worked together on the film Neel Kamal, directed by Kidar Sharma. (Photo; Express Archive)

He couldn’t control himself and gave Raj a tight slap on his disobedience. “I am from Punjab, I forgot everything at that time, because I requested and he didn’t listen to me. I asked Raj Kapoor to come up close, and slapped him so hard that all my fingers were imprinted in his face. I thought that he would shout and scream because he was a huge star’s kid and I slapped him in front of everyone. But, he didn’t say anything, smiled and went away,” he recalled.

However, Kidar was sleepless and kept thinking about his actions. “I couldn’t sleep the whole night that day. I felt that this boy only wanted to see himself on the screen. I am doing injustice to him, so I couldn’t sleep. In the morning, I took the typewriter and rolled out a contract with the hero’s name. I wanted to make Neel Kamal at that time. I thought of taking Raj as a hero,” he revealed.

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The director continued, “When I met him, I saw the marks of my slap on his face. I felt really bad and thought that I am not a good man. This is was my weakness, I thought that he was just a kid and made a mistake. I asked him to come close, but he said that ‘No, you’ll slap me again’. I told him that I won’t hit him and I offered him the film along with Rs 5000 as a signing amount.” He also cast Madhubala, who was just 13 at the time, as the film’s actress.

Raj couldn’t control his tears and felt thankful to Kidar Sharma. “He started crying. I asked him why he didn’t cry after getting slapped the previous day and now he was crying. He said, ‘Kindness hurts the most’. He said that he is of no use and would ruin me. Raj then asked for a comic role, and not make him a hero. I instantly hugged him and told him that he is the best,” he shared. However, the financier refused to let him make the film with a new face. He demanded his money back for which Kidar had to sell everything he owned. Kidar revealed he had to sell everything he owned to make the film. “I sold my land, my wife’s jewellery… everything I had,” he said. Even then, he didn’t have enough money to finish the film when an old character actress, Naziya bi, came to him demanding her monthly fee. He scolded her and sent her back, “I won’t die without paying your salary”. By that time, everyone knew that Kidar had no money to make the film. Some time later, the same woman returned with her lifelong savings — Rs 17,000 and jewellery and asked him to use it to make the film.