NEW DELHI, JUNE 2, REUTER — Indian film actor, producer and Director Raj Kapoor died on Thursday, a month after collapsing at the country’s most important film awards ceremony.
A hospital spokesman said the 64yearold doyen of the Indian film industry suffered a heart attack, was revived but died from a second attack five hours later.
Kapoor played a vital part in the Indian film industry, the biggest in the world. He collapsed from an asthma attack at the Fan Awards ceremony on May 2.
Indian President R. Venkataraman broke with protocol and stepped down from the stage to present a special award to Kapoor, who was gasping for breath.
Thousands of fans maintained a daily vigil outside his hospital room. Newspapers, radio and television gave daily bulletins on his condition and four days ago he went into a coma.
Only members of the family, most of them movie stars in their ‘own right, and leading figures
Such as Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi were allowed to visit him.
Actor’s son Kapoor began his career sweeping the floors of film sets and went on to become a star wherever Indian films were shown, including the Soviet Union and China.
Moscow named a workers’ colony after the man who made himself unchallengeable for years with his portrayal of a Chaplinesgue character in the 1951 film “award” (The Tramp).
Article extracted from this publication >> June 10, 1988
