Bobby began the  journey  of stardom for Rishi Kapoor. It is the ultimate love story for many generations of Indians. Here are some  facts about this  omantic musical blockbuster that would tickle some torment others.

1.     Raj Kapoor did not make Bobby to launch his son Rishi Kapoor. From the outset, the film’s focus  was on the film’s leading lady, Dimple Kapadia and well, Rishi was welcome to climb on board.  But he got no special treatment. His dad was busy focusing on the female lead.

2.     15-year-old Dimple Kapadia was Raj Kapoor’s friend Chunnilal Kapadia’s daughter. He chose her after auditioning numerous other girls including Rishi’s future wife Neetu Singh and Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan.

3.   Shailendra Singh who was chosen to be Rishi Kapoor’s voice was Raj Kapoor’s choice. He wanted  a  completely new voice for Rishi. But it was Lata Mangeshkar all the way for Dimple.

4.     Lataji was 40 when she sang for 15-year-old Dimple. Before Bobby, she had stopped all communication with Raj Kapoor and she had not sung for him at all in his previous film, Mera Naam  Joker. One of the factors for its failure, according to Raj Kapoor, was the absence of his muse’s voice. Bobby had to be made with Lataji’s voice, or not at all.It was  music composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal  who brought about  a reconciliation between  Raj Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar .

5.     The  role that Aruna Irani played of the virgin-boy Rishi Kapoor’s  seductive, sexually savvy friend was written for Rekha. She didn’t do the role as she found it secondary.  Later after many years, Rekha  got a chance to be directed  by Raj Kapoor in Dharam Karam.

6.     There is  a scene in Bobby where Aruna Irani catches Rishi emerging from the bathroom naked. He was actually nude while doing the scene. Ranbir Kapoor too did a nude shot in his debut film Saawariya.

7.     Bobby had a tragic ending with the lovers drowning themselves. But distributors threatened  to drown themselves if RK didn’t change the ending.  Thus a blissful finale was forced  on  Raj Kapoor’s version of  Romeo & Juliet. Shakespeare  must have rolled his eyes.