SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
At 69, when most people enjoy time with their grandchildren, Aditya Raj Kapoor, son of yesteryear Bollywood star Shammi Kapoor, is busy embrac ing his own ‘grandchild’ — knowledge — here in Goa. Having dropped out of school after failing his Class 11 exams over 50 years ago, Aditya Raj Kapoor on Tues day secured his postgraduate de gree in Philosophy from Indira Gandhi Nation al Open U n i versity (IGNOU) Re gional Cen tre, Panjim, after having graduated from the same dis tance-learn ing institution a few years ago. “I know that many of my contemporaries have retired and are now enjoy ing the company of their grandchildren. But I am not retired. I have just started living and rediscovering myself through education. I think knowledge is my grandchild. I hope it will become an adult, which means my thoughts will grow and branch out. That is how knowledge moves forward,” Kapoor told O Heraldo. Speaking about his jour ney from films to educa tion, and his move from Mumbai to Goa, he said that after dropping out of school at 16, he entered the fami ly’s film business. “I didn’t do what I was supposed to do at the right age. I failed at school and got into my family busi ness, and over a period of time, I did well. Then one day, I exited the family’s film business and started my own venture. I realised that education would have helped me here. So for 30 years, I worked hard, doing different things.
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Then I decided that when I retire, I will do something for myself — and I did that,” he said.After retirement, Kapoor and his wife decided to move away from the fast-paced life of Mumbai 13 years ago and settled in Goa. “Then I decided to actually begin my education. I enrolled with IGNOU, which is so convenient for people like me. I completed my graduation and have now finished my post-graduation — both in Philosophy. In my undergradu ate degree, I secured a Second Class, and in my post-grad uation, I got a First Class. Now, I plan to pursue a PhD, preferably from Goa University. I believe learning never ends,” he added.
