'Didn't charge me for the cab ride': How a Russian taxi driver in America showed Nikhil Nanda the real power of Raj Kapoor's legacy

Nikhil Nanda is a well-known businessman in India, but what makes him truly unique is his connection to two of Bollywood's most famous families. He is the grandson of the legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor and is married to Shweta Bachchan Nanda, the daughter of Amitabh Bachchan. He recently spoke about something more personal. He opened up about his relationship with his grandfather Raj Kapoor and shared an important lesson that the great filmmaker taught him—one that still guides the way he thinks about success, reputation, and legacy.He grew up without realising how famous his grandfather Raj Kapoor really was. As a child, he only knew him as a loving and caring grandfather, not as one of the biggest names in Indian cinema. "I was very close to my maternal side of the family, and I still am. My mother used to take me and my sister to Mumbai during our summer vacations. I saw Raj Kapoor as my grandfather; I never realised how famous he was outside the house. We used to have normal moments of joy. He would take us to Geeta Bhavan and Ravi Cafe," Nikhil said on Shrishti Sahu's podcast. For Nikhil, those summer trips to Mumbai were filled with simple and happy moments spent with his grandfather. While the world saw Raj Kapoor as a legend, Nikhil simply saw him as family.Nikhil truly understood how famous Raj Kapoor was only when he went to study in the United States. It was not in India, but in America, that the real scale of his grandfather's popularity hit him. Recalling the incident, he said, "I realised who Raj Kapoor was when I was in college. When I went to the University of Pennsylvania, there was a very bad storm and I got stuck there. There were about two or three feet of snow. I was waiting for a taxi and finally found one after 20 or 30 minutes. When I sat inside, I heard Raj Kapoor's songs playing. The driver was Russian. I told him Raj Kapoor was my grandfather, but he thought I was joking. Luckily, I had a family picture with me. I showed it to him and he stopped the car. That's when I realised the love and impact he had created. The driver didn't charge me for the cab ride."He has a very special memory from when he was just 12 years old, a conversation with his grandfather Raj Kapoor that he has never forgotten. One evening, young Nikhil asked his grandfather a simple but bold question about what he expected from him. The answer that came back was something he did not expect. "When I was 12 years old, I had a lovely interaction one evening with Raj Kapoor. I looked at him and asked, 'What is your expectation of me as a grandson?' He said to me, 'Nikhil, when you retire, if you are able to get out of a three-wheeler—not a fancy car—and people love you and salute you for the love and impact you have created around you, then, my son, that is the wealth and reputation you will have created for yourself. That is what I would like you to earn.'"Nikhil Nanda has always held Raj Kapoor's advice very close to his heart and considers it one of the most important lessons of his life. As a father, he now sees his two children, Navya Naveli Nanda and actor Agastya Nanda, building their own paths in life. Both of them seem to have chosen very different directions. Navya is leaning towards business and is slowly becoming a part of the family enterprise, while Agastya has chosen acting and is carrying forward the family's strong connection with the world of cinema.