If there is someone from Bollywood who is actually synonymous with "Legendary" it has got to be Raj Kapoor. Born on December 14, 1924, today, we celebrate the birth anniversary of the late actor. It is a known fact that his actual name was Ranbir Raj Kapoor and not just acting, but he was also a noted producer and director. Even though Raj Kapoor struggled his way to stardom, once he reached tasted success there was no stopping him. The Kapoors are one of the oldest filmy families and talent runs in their blood. Raj Kapoor himself was a brilliant actor and a lot of actors, till today, look up to him. Raj Kapoor's Wife Krishna Raj Kapoor Passes Away; Granddaughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahani Shares A Heartfelt Message on Instagram.

Raj Kapoor made his debut as a child artist in 1935 with Inquilab. After 12 years of its release, he got his first big break opposite Madhubala in Neel Kamal. The actor's vast contribution to Hindi cinema is something that the entire film industry will always be grateful for. During his time in Bollywood, his work was acknowledged and was rewarded duly for the same. Talking about achievement, he went on to win two National Awards for Best Feature Film in Hindi and 11 Filmfare Awards, among many others. Raj Kapoor also honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 by the Government of India. In his honour, a postage stamp bearing his face was released by Indian Postal Services in 2001.

Listen to some of Raj Kapoor's popular songs here-

On his birth anniversary today, let's take you back in time and revisit some precious moments from Raj Kapoor's popular movies-

Raj Kapoor in Aawara (Photo Credit: YouTube)
Raj Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker (Photo Credit: YouTube)
Raj Kapoor in Barsaat (Photo Credit: YouTube)
Raj Kapoor in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (Photo Credit: YouTube)

Raj passed away at the age of 63 reportedly due to asthma. Apparently, he collapsed on the day that he was set to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and had to be rushed to hospital where he succumbed to death after battling the affliction for a month.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 14, 2018 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).