Ranbir Kapoor to revive iconic RK Studios with his directorial debut, honoring Raj Kapoor’s cinematic legacy |
Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor is set to regain the legendary RK Studios, the creative studio founded by his grandfather, Raj Kapoor, in 1948. The relaunch marks a major milestone for both the Kapoor family and the Indian film industry, combining legacy preservation with a fresh creative vision. For the revived studio, Ranbir Kapoor will reportedly be working with Deepika Padukone, Ayan Mukerji, and others on his first-ever directorial project.
Reviving the legacy of RK Studios with a modern touch
As per a report from Mid-Day, the RK Studios revival project has already commenced with Ranbir Kapoor and his team reviewing multiple scripts. He is looking to update the studio’s practices while still honoring the emotion and essence from the studio’s golden years. The studio is shifting its focus to contemporary storytelling, balancing the Kapoor family values with the present-day approach.Further expansion of the studio’s infrastructure is also in the pipeline, which may consist of a new office complex and a modern screening theater. The ambition is to create a creative cooperative for filmmakers that can support them on multiple levels and in various ways from the film city in Mumbai. This vision is consistent with the late Rishi Kapoor’s philosophy of keeping the RK name and legacy alive for generations to come.
Fall and rise of RK Studios
The RK Films banner’s last film was ‘Aa Ab Laut Chalen’ (1999), which was directed by Rishi Kapoor. However, shortly after, the decline of the Chembur-based studio began, as newer studios were built in the suburbs of Mumbai. A terrible fire in 2017 caused the property devastation, loss of countless RK films and classic memorabilia, and ultimately the loss of operational viability of the studio.The RK Studios property also holds sentimental value. It was the first studio in India and was built and owned by the Kapor family. The Kapoor family’s sale of the property and the studio’s closure brought the RK Studios property’s decline and loss.
New era for RK Studios
As RK Kapoor’s grandson and new studio head, Ranbir looks to relaunch the studio and shift the construction focus to Raj Kapoor’s established legacy, then to new innovations to the studio. New innovations, he hopes, will concentrate the new director’s first work, which is a collaboration with industry executives, at the studio.Founded in 1948, RK Studios is synonymous with timeless classics such as ‘Barsaat’ (1949), ‘Awaara’ (1951), ‘Mera Naam Joker’ (1970), ‘Bobby’ (1973), ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ (1978), ‘Prem Rog’ (1982), and ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ (1985). The studio played a pivotal role in shaping Indian cinema’s identity across decades.The RK Studios property decline was a loss. It holds a legacy as the first in India. The RK family, and now Ranbir, built a cinematic path, Indian filmmaking, and a filmed heritage. The studio also is the first in a Raj Kapoor legacy.
