Actors Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand were seen as the three most important figures in the Hindi film industry back in the 1950s. They were the biggest movie stars of their generation, and their association with each other made them into an unbeatable team. So when the three of them got mischievous, they didn’t shy away from taking some liberties with the then-Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The three stars once teased Nehru about his rumoured relationship with Lady Edwina Mountbatten, and asked him about her during one of their meetings.
In the book Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, presented by Ritu Nanda, Raj recalled this visit to the PM’s residence at Teen Murti. “Once Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and I were invited to spend some time with the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, at his Teen Murti residence,” he wrote. Raj shared that at that point, Nehru had “just recovered from an unfortunate stroke and looked mellow and somewhat resigned.” But, as soon as he held the “Big Three” in his arms, he was in a great mood.
Nehru continued to tell them stories about his experiences around the world, and the three of them were spellbound. “We all opened up, as if we had found a long-lost friend and he reacted and reciprocated in a similar fashion, with childlike joy. He was perhaps looking for a moment of escape from his overburdened life that was full of having to deal with the political pressure of one-upmanship and sycophancy around him,” Raj shared. At this point, they were talking like old buddies and so, the stars dared to ask him about his personal life.
Raj shared, “We asked him, ‘We hear you used to be very popular and amorously attracted to ladies wherever you went, Panditji!’ Not as popular as you fellows are!’ was his quick retort with his famous smile.” They then dared to ask the question that kept the rumour mills active for years. “We asked, ‘Your devastating smile stole the heart of Lady Mountbatten… is it true, sir?’ He blushed, enjoying the question and laughing it away saying, ‘I love all these stories about me!’”
Since Nehru had responded in a candid fashion to the first question, Dilip Kumar asked him another question. Raj recalled, “‘But they all say she herself confessed her weakness for you!’ Dilip Kumar joined in, in a very humorous strain. ‘People made me believe in those stories’ He laughed again light-heartedly.”
There were many rumours about a relationship brewing between PM Nehru and Lady Mountbatten before India’s independence in 1947. Nehru died in 1964 at 74.
