Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni had a surprise to hear that Raj Kapoor who is known popular in Soviet Union and today's Russia, also equally familiar with Chinese older generation.
While she was attending an award function a senior citizen approached her and enquired about screening of Indian film stars or songs would be a part of the festival she answered in negative, the elderly person recounted with her by saying that he grown up listening to the songs of Raj Kapoor's film 'Awara'.
The minister was surprised to hear such words since it is restricted to the knowledge that RK was familiar with Russia alone.
Raj Kapoor through his films even penetrated beyond so far known boundaries, as it reveals by the event.
But RK once told during the visit to USSR, "My popularity in Russia is a phenomenon I can't explain myself, except that my films Awara and Shree 420 came at an opportune moment, when the Russian people were changing themselves culturally. In these films they saw the spirit of the Indian youth in revolt and they loved him, as he became the symbol of their own sprit. This identity with the Indian youth that I portrayed drew us closer; our friendship has been a long-standing one. Even today I get a warm welcome from them."
This version seems to be applicable to all regimes where ever there is a change and transformation happens as China also experienced such moments in the post-Mao lead revolution.