Prem Chopra Didn’t Really Buy The Iconic “Prem Naam Hai Mera” Dialogue At First But Here’s How Raj Kapoor Convinced Him Over Drinks – Deets Inside(Pic Credit: IMDb/Movie Still/Wikipedia)
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Bobby starring Dimple Kapadia and late actor Rishi Kapoor is one of the most popular films of Hindi cinema till date. The film also starred Prem Chopra, Aruna Irani, Farida Jalal, Prem Nath and Pran in pivotal roles. Today, as Chopra celebrates his 86th birthday, we bring you an anecdote that he revealed about the time when veteran actor Raj Kapoor convinced him to take up a role in the film over drinks.
Raj Ji told him, “I don’t care, you have to do this,” revealed Prem in an interview.
In a conversation with Indian Express, Prem Chopra opened up on taking up a role in Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor’s Bobby. The veteran actor revealed that it was legendary Raj Kapoor who convinced him to take the role over drinks.
Prem Chopra said, “He loved to drink and one day we sat together. I kept asking him to give me the script so I can learn my dialogues; it was a Raj Kapoor film after all! All he had to say was, ‘Batayenge batayenge, fursat se’. He only told me that a young couple has eloped and I have to catch them. I had to say ‘Prem naam hai mera… Prem Chopra’.”
The Bobby actor continued and said, “When I heard that for the first time, it did not register. During the shoot, I met Prem Nath and told him that I was unhappy with the role. His advice was to do it and believe in Raj Kapoor. He was sure that the film will be a big hit. With his encouragement, I did it to the best of my ability and the dialogue clicked. Even today, wherever I go in the world, people either introduce me with that dialogue or want me to say it. It is so close to my heart that even my book is named Prem naam hai mera… Prem Chopra.”
