A day after Irrfan Khan passed away, Bolllywood saw the demise of yet another icon, as veteran actor Rishi Kapoor breathed his last in Mumbai today. The entire Hindi film industry is in a state of shock due to back to back deaths of its stalwarts.
67-year-old Rishi Kapoor actor was taken to H N Reliance hospital by his family on Wednesday morning after he developed ill health. He was said to be suffering from cancer.
The actor returned to India last September after undergoing treatment for cancer in the US for almost a year. In February, Kapoor was hospitalised twice due to his health issues. Top stars including Amitabh Bachchan and superstar Rajinikanth have expressed shock and condolences.
Rishi Kapoor was an actor, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema. He received the National Film Award for his debut role as a child artist in his father Raj Kapoor’s 1970 film ‘Mera Naam Joker’ (1970). Kapoor had his first lead role as an adult opposite Dimple Kapadia in 1973 with the film ‘Bobby’ and received the Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1974.
Before his death he played leading roles as the romantic lead in 92 films between 1973 and 2000, of which 36 were box office hits. For his performance in ‘Do Dooni Chaar’, he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor in 2011, and for his role in ‘Kapoor & Sons’, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2017.
He was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He appeared opposite his future wife Neetu Singh in twelve films from 1973 and 1981.
Rishi Kapoor was born in Chembur, Bombay in a Punjabi family as Rishi Raj Kapoor. He was the second son of actor-film director Raj Kapoor and his wife Krishna Raj Kapoor.
He was also the grandson of actor Prithviraj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School, Mumbai and Mayo College, Ajmer. His brothers, Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor; maternal uncles, Prem Nath and Rajendra Nath; and paternal uncles, Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor are all actors. He has two sisters, insurance agent Ritu Nanda and Rima Jain.
His first ever role in a movie was for Raj Kapoor’s ‘Shree 420’, where in the song ‘Pyaar Hua, Iqraar Hua…’, he is walking through the rain with 2 other small children. He was about 3 at the time, and he once stated Nargis had bribed him to do the scene with some chocolate.
Rishi Kapoor debuted in Raj Kapoor’s (his father) 1970 film ‘Mera Naam Joker’, playing a childhood role of his father. He had his first lead role as an adult, opposite Dimple Kapadia in the 1973 film ‘Bobby’.
In an interview in 2012, he stated: “There was a misconception that the film was made to launch me as an actor. The film was actually made to pay the debts of ‘Mera Naam Joker’. Dad wanted to make a teenage love story and he did not have money to cast Rajesh Khanna in the film”. ‘Bobby’ was one of the decade’s biggest hits in India.
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