Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 – 30 April 2020)[3] was an Indian actor, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films.[4] He was the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards, in a career that spanned 50 years.[5]
Around the age of three, Kapoor's first on-screen appearance was a cameo in his father Raj Kapoor's film Shree 420 (1955),[15] where he would appear in the musical sequence of "Pyaar Hua, Iqraar Hua Hai".[29] Likewise, Raj Kapoor would direct the film that provided Rishi his debut role, the 1970 film Mera Naam Joker, in which the actor would portray the young version of the lead character (played by Raj Kapoor).[31][15] His performance in the film earned him the National Film Award for Best Child Artist.
Kapoor worked with actress Neetu Singh for the first time in Zahreela Insaan (1974). The two would go on to share screen space in multiple projects, including Kabhi Kabhie (1976) and Doosra Aadmi (1976), and would eventually marry in 1980.[33] In 1980, Kapoor starred along with Tina Munim in Subhash Ghai's musical reincarnation thriller Karz (1980), which went on to become a cult classic with a highly popular soundtrack. In a role considered one of his career-best works, Kapoor played an idealistic Devdhar in the 1982 musical romantic drama Prem Rog, a film based on the concept of widow remarriage, co-starring Padmini Kolhapure, which earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[34] Another highlight of his career was the musical romantic drama Saagar (1985), directed by noted director Ramesh Sippy, which saw Kapoor reunite with Dimple Kapadia, 12 years after they made their debuts in Bobby.[35] He appeared as the second lead in several multi-starrer films in the 1980s such as Naseeb (1981), Kaatilon Ke Kaatil (1981), Coolie (1983), Dosti Dushmani (1986), Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1988) and Gharana (1989). In the 1986 drama Ek Chadar Maili Si, adapted from Rajendra Singh Bedi's novel of the same name, Kapoor would play a man forced by customs to marry his widowed sister-in-law, played by Hema Malini.[29][36] He ended the decade on a high with Yash Chopra's blockbuster romantic musical Chandni (1989) starring as Sridevi's love interest, Rohit, a helpless romantic-turned-cripple, which earned him another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[18]
After two decades, he reunited on-screen with frequent co-star Amitabh Bachchan in 102 Not Out (2018), in which the two play an old-aged father-son duo. In 2018, he appeared in the Netflix drama Rajma Chawal[15] and received high critical acclaim for his portrayal of a Muslim in Mulk.[29] In 2019, Kapoor had two releases: Jhootha Kahin Ka, a comedy-drama film directed by Smeep Kang; and The Body, co-starring Emraan Hashmi, a mystery-thriller written and directed by Jeethu Joseph.[43] Released on 13 December 2019, The Body would be Kapoor's last film to be released during his lifetime.[22]
At the time of his death on 30 April 2020, Hitesh Bhatia's Sharmaji Namkeen co-starring Juhi Chawla, was under production and a four-day schedule was pending at the time of Kapoor's death.[44] Producer Honey Trehan on 8 May 2020 confirmed that the film will be released in theatres.[45] In January 2021, it was reported that Paresh Rawal is going to complete Kapoor's unfinished portions of the film,[46] and it was released on Amazon Prime Video on 31 March 2022.[47]
Kapoor married actress Neetu Singh, from New Delhi, also of PunjabiKhatri descent, in 1980.[15] The couple had two children — son, actor Ranbir Kapoor, and a daughter, Riddhima Kapoor.[33] Kapoor's autobiography Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, was released on 15 January 2017. Kapoor wrote the book along with Meena Iyer, and the title was published under HarperCollins.[48][49]
Kapoor was known to make controversial socio-political comments. In March 2016, he criticized the Nehru–Gandhi family over naming of roads, buildings and national assets in the name of Gandhi and Nehru.[50] In September 2017, he again took on the Gandhi family by slamming Rahul Gandhi over dynastic politics.[51] In March 2020, he expressed anger and criticized the Indian Judiciary with the "Tareekh Pe Tareekh" dialogue of his film Damini over the delay in execution of the four perpetrators who were convicted in the Nirbhaya case due to loopholes in the laws.[52]
Illness and death
Kapoor was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018 and went to New York City for treatment.[21] After successful treatment for a year, he returned to India on 26 September 2019.[53]
However, he was admitted to Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital on 29 April 2020 owing to breathing difficulties.[54] He died on 30 April 2020 at 8:45 AM IST from recurrence of leukemia.[55][56] Kapoor's last rites were performed at Chandanwadi Crematorium and his ashes were immersed in Banganga.[57]
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