Remembering Rishi, with a smile

by ASJAD NAZIR

THE greatest cinematic dynasty in the world is the Kapoor family and they have been an integral part of Bollywood ever since the silent era. Now well into its fourth generation, the galaxy of stars from the famous family have lit up films for over 90 years and entertained many millions across different generations. By far the biggest star from the third generation was Rishi Kapoor, who sadly passed away aged 67, after losing a two year long battle with leukaemia.

The son of legendary superstar Raj Kapoor and grandson of acclaimed actor Prithviraj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor was born into a film family in 1952 and grew up surrounded by cinema. Both his uncles Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor were huge stars, and many extended members of the family were also making an impressive cinematic mark during his formative years.

His father had built a huge studio and set up legendary production RK Films, so Rishi Kapoor grew up on a film set and even made a cameo as a three-year-old in iconic 1955 film Shree 420.

He made his acting debut in 1970 with magnum opus Mera Naam Joker, playing the young version of his father’s character and got himself a prestigious National Award for the performance. Although Mera Naam Joker would be hailed as a masterpiece in later years, the mega-budget passion project incurred huge losses at the box office and nearly bankrupted his father’s hugely successful production house.

The legendary film banner was saved in 1973 with the release of blockbuster hit Bobby, which marked Rishi Kapoor’s debut as a leading man and became the highest grossing Bollywood film of that year. Musical romance Bobby being an incredible success turned the young actor into an overnight superstar and a pin-up for the new generation of cinemagoers.

What followed was an incredibly successful career as a leading man that would last more than 20 years and include some of the greatest movies made in the history of Indian cinema. Some of the many successes included Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Amar Akbar  Anthony (1977), Karz (1980), Naseeb (1981) and Nagina (1986).

His work included hugely significant movies like Prem Rog (1982) and Damini (1993), which tackled taboo subjects in the commercial cinematic arena.

There were also important films like Deewana (1992), which marked the debut of Bollywood’s most successful modern-day star Shah Rukh Khan and blockbuster hit Chandni (1989), which helped reintroduce romance into Bollywood and popularised Switzerland as a destination to shoot Indian films.

During his career as a popular leading man, the hardworking actor built up a reputation as the king of romance and brought songs to life onscreen in a way no other actor had done before him. He backed up his stardom with an incredible ability to deliver powerful performances on the big screen. By mixing up solo releases with multi-starrers, the A-list actor was able to build up an impressive filmography as a leading man and had a longer run than most leading men.

Then after a transition period, the naturally gifted performer was able to make the move to playing powerful character driven roles. These later successes would include Do Dooni Char (2010), D-Day (2013), Kapoor & Sons (2016) and Mulk (2018). Free from the shackles of being a leading man, he did some of his best work in later life and fully explored his range as an actor.

In 2012, he played a vicious villain in Agneepath and a gay character in Student Of The Year. He continued to be massively in demand and was due to star opposite current Bollywood queen Deepika Padukone in the official Bollywood remake of The Intern, where he was going to take on the role originally portrayed by Robert De Niro.

In 2017, he released searingly honest biography Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, where he made no-holds-barred confessions about his life, and lifted the lid on Bollywood in a way no other big star had done before.

He married leading lady Neetu Singh in 1980, with whom he had starred in numerous films and theirs would be one of the most successful marriages in Hindi film history. She stood by his side when he received the devastating leukaemia diagnosis in 2018, including moving to USA with him for a prolonged period of time for treatment and was with him to the very end.

They have two children Riddhima Kapoor Sahani and A-list superstar Ranbir Kapoor, who is carrying on the family legacy, and today has reached the heights of his famous father.

Tributes poured in from all over the world for the actor, who will continue to shine brightly with work that will carry his light forward for future generations.

His family summed it up best and said in a statement: “He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents. Family, friends, food and films remained his focus and everyone who met him during this time was amazed at how he did not let his illness get the better of him. He was grateful for the love of his fans that poured in from the world over. In his passing, they would all understand that he would like to be remembered with a smile and not with tears.”