Dalip Tahil remembers late Rajiv Kapoor as Toolsidas Junior wins National Award for Best Hindi Film

Dalip Tahil recalled working with late actor Rajiv Kapoor after their film Toolsidas Junior won the National Award for Best Hindi Film. It was his last film.

The names of winners of the 68th National Film Awards were announced on Friday, July 22. The sports drama, Toolsidas Junior, won The Best Hindi Film award. Dalip Tahil, who worked in the film with late actor Rajiv Kapoor, remembered how he would have been very happy with the win.

Toolsidas Junior bagged the Best Hindi Film Award at the 68th National Film Awards for the year 2020, while the lead actor of the film, Varun Buddhadev, earned the Special Mention in Feature Films under the Child Actor category. Congratulating the makers, Dalip Tahil said, "I congratulate the director and the cast and crew. Toolsidas Junior is very important for me and one of my favorite films, because this film presents the father-son relationship in a very emotional way."

Recalling working with Rajiv, he said how he was excited and nervous to return to acting after 30 years. He said, "When i was shooting with Rajiv Kapoor, I remember he always used to tell me Dalip, I am facing the camera after thirty years. I do not know whether I can make it or not. I used to comfort him. That poor man desperately wished this film would release so that his career go ahead. He was very nervous about his second innings. He had worked so hard but when the film was released, he was no more to see the reaction. Despite being the son of Raj Kapoor, he did not get work for thirty years. And when he got the job, he is no more."

Helmed by Mridul Toolsidas, Toolsidas Junior is his father's story. Dalip shared that Mridul's father also passed away before the film released. "Mridul's father, on whom the story is based, also passed away before its release. Although both of them had seen the film earlier, but could not see the release. Rajiv liked it so much that he used to call me many times and say that I wish it gets released as soon as possible and I can pursue my career."

He further added, "Mridul's mother did not want this film to be made as she didn't want to let the personal matters of the family come out. Mridul made this film with a lot of hard work and it has got its fruit in the form of National Award. I will only regret that the film could not be released in the theatre. The response on Netflix has also been tremendous, wherever I go, I always recommend this film to people."