Raj Kapoor was in the middle of making his dream film ‘Henna’ when he tragically passed away in 1988. After his death, the Kapoor family came together to complete the showman’s unfinished vision—a cross-border love story that would become a tribute to his enduring legacy .
The film, an India-Pakistan romance starring Rishi Kapoor and Pakistani actress Zeba Bakhtiyar, was finally released in 1991. It was completed by Raj Kapoor’s sons: Randhir Kapoor took over as director, while Rishi and Rajiv Kapoor stepped in as producers .
The dream that Raj Kapoor carried
Raj Kapoor had carried the idea of ‘Henna’ for nearly two decades. The story was built around a river—the Jhelum—that starts in India and flows into Pakistan, symbolising a love that refuses to recognise borders .
As Raj Kapoor himself had said: “The story is built around a river, the Jhelum, that starts in India and flows into Pakistan. This part of the country is Hindu, but the moment you go to that part, it becomes Muslim. Why? Because man has divided it. But can you divide love?”
The theme of Partition was deeply personal to Kapoor, a man born in Peshawar who could never reconcile himself to the division of his homeland .
The search for ‘Henna’
Raj Kapoor had searched for years to find the right actress to play the titular role of Henna—a nomadic girl from the mountains. He had considered several actresses but was never satisfied .
Pakistani writer Haseena Moin suggested Zeba Bakhtiar, an actress who had worked in PTV’s production of ‘Anarkali’. Raj Kapoor watched the tape of her performance and gave his approval—but he passed away shortly after, without ever meeting her .
When Bakhtiar later met Raj’s wife Krishna Kapoor for the first time, Krishna remarked: “I could see Raj ji’s dream in flesh and blood” .
The family comes together
After Raj Kapoor’s death, the responsibility fell on his three sons. “It’s almost as though Raj Kapoor made the structure of a five-star hotel with 20 restaurants and a thousand rooms. We have only completed the building and done the interior decoration,” Rishi Kapoor said .
The film was shot across multiple locations, including Manali and Austria, with some scenes filmed in Pakistan after permission was finally granted by the Nawaz Sharif government .
Ashwini Bhave’s experience
Marathi actor Ashwini Bhave, who played the second female lead, recalled how the RK family supported her through the making of the film .
“Here was Neetu Kapoor personally putting me in her car and taking me to the designer for the trial three times,” Ashwini recalled. “Randhir said, ‘We have this Satyam hall open for you, do as much rehearsal as you want'” .
She described shooting the song ‘Aaja Ve Mahi’ in front of a crowd of 1,000-1,500 people for 14-15 days. After the shoot, when she felt she had performed poorly, Rishi Kapoor reassured her: “Pagal hai? You don’t know what you have done” .
Legacy and impact
‘Henna’ was a commercial and critical success, and was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 64th Academy Awards . For the Kapoor family, it was more than just a film—it was a tribute to their father and a promise kept. As Rishi Kapoor put it: “We wanted to keep the RK banner alive, standing and even higher” .
