Ranbir Kapoor says ‘family ki hawa tight thi’ before meeting PM Modi; watch how he made them all crack up with his jokes

During a meeting with the Kapoor family, PM Modi engaged warmly with them. Ranbir Kapoor shared a humorous taxi anecdote.

Ranbir Kapoor has revealed how nervous the entire Kapoor clan was ahead of their recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. Ranbir, his wife Alia Bhatt, sister Riddhima Kapoor, mother Neetu Kapoor, cousins Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Armaan and Aadar Jain were all there with Saif Ali Khan and Rima Jain to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of their late patriarch and movie icon, Raj Kapoor.

The Kapoor family met PM Modi to invite him for the Raj Kapoor film festival beginning 14 December.

A nervous family

In a video from the event, Ranbir talked about the experience of meeting the PM, mentioning how nervous all of them were. “It's a special day for our Kapoor family. The PM gave such honour to Shri Raj Kapoor and us his precious time. We will always be grateful for this meeting. We had such fun with out sitdown gupchup (chat), because we could as so many personal questions too. He has a very friendly nature and all our nervousness we had… hum sabki hawa tight thi (we were all quite nervous)… but he made us all feel very comfortable.”

Another clip from the video shared on PM's official YouTube channel shows Ranbir's aunt Rima Kapoor struggling to find the right words to address the PM. As she gave him a bunch of titles, PM shouted, ‘Cut!’, making everyone around laugh.

What happened at the meeting?

During the meeting, PM Modi shared a warm interaction with the Kapoor family. Actor Ranbir Kapoor narrated an anecdote that brought a smile to the Prime Minister's face. Ranbir’s aunt, Reema Kapoor, recounted an incident from one of Ranbir's overseas trips, saying, "Ranbir was in a car with a Russian taxi driver who asked, ‘Are you from India?’ and then started singing a song. The driver excitedly asked if Ranbir was Raj Kapoor's grandson."

Ranbir added with a laugh, "I told him I’m Raj Kapoor’s grandson, and ever since, I always seem to get free taxi rides!"

PM Modi also shared his own reflections on Raj Kapoor’s lasting impact on Indian cinema. Recalling an incident involving veteran leaders LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said, "During the Jana Sangh era, after losing an election in Delhi, Advaniji and Atalji decided to watch a movie to lift their spirits. They chose Raj Kapoor's 'Phir Subah Hogi.' That was the kind of influence films had in those days."

The Prime Minister spoke about his admiration for Raj Kapoor's work and the global appeal of Indian cinema. He fondly remembered an encounter in China where a song by Ranbir’s father, the late Rishi Kapoor, was being played. "I asked my colleagues to record it and sent it to Rishiji. He was so delighted," PM Modi shared.

Highlighting Raj Kapoor’s contribution to India’s cultural diplomacy, PM Modi reflected on how the filmmaker represented India’s global influence long before the concept of "soft power" became widely recognized. "In 1947, we had 'Neel Kamal.' As we approach 2047, it shows how such cultural milestones shaped India’s story. Raj Kapoor showcased India’s strength to the world through cinema long before it was a formal part of diplomacy," he said.