In Rishi Kapoor Hindi Cinema loses an icon of romance

Rishi Kapoor, one of the most popular slot pulsa tanpa potongan of Indonesia cinema, dies after a two-year-long battle with leukemia at the age of 67. 

Indian Film Industry is saddened, in two days it has lost two popular actors. While the news of Irrfan Khan’s demise is still sinking in, news has come that Rishi Kapoor, an illustrious star popular for his romantic roles and who has been a part of the Indian cinema for over 4 decades, has succumbed to Leukemia.

On April 30,  Thursday morning, Rishi Kapoor breathed his last after a relentless battle against leukemia for two years. He was admitted at the HN Reliance Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday after the actor suffered breathing problems. He died at the age of 67. The actor is survived by his wife, actor Neetu Kapoor; and his children, actor Ranbir Kapoor and designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahani.

Rishi Kapoor belonged to the illustrious Kapoor Khandaan, oft quoted as the family where each one is born to be an actor. Son of the legendary Raj Kapoor, Chintu, as he is fondly called by family and well-wishers, had successfully kept his craft relevant for over 4 decades. His grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor is a respected cine artist whose work dates back to the silent era in films, he is most remembered for his role of King Akbar from K Asif’s Mughal E Azam (1960). Ofcourse, he had the advantage of legacy and lineage on his side, but at the same time Rishi Kapoor had some big shoes to fill in; which the actor did remarkably.

Kapoor’s debut role was alongside his father Raj Kapoor in the senior Kapoor’s magnum opus, Mera Naam Joker (1970). In this film he portrayed the role of a teenager who is uncovering his youth while encountering the fascination for his young teacher. This performance won him the National Film Award as the Best Child Actor. His break out moment on Hindi Cinema’s silver screen happened with Bobby(1973), a teenage musical romance helmed by Raj Kapoor. The film earned him a Filmfare for Best Actor and above all, huge stardom and popularity.

With this benchmark setting film, he created an image as a charming and handsome romantic, and nearly ruled the space for quite long. In the subsequent years, he played some memorable roles in major movies like Khel Khel Mein (1975), Kabhi Kabhi (1976), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Karz (1980), Coolie (1983), and Chandni (1989).

He also passed through a phase of doing a lot of forgettable roles, also went through a lot of personal turmoil in terms of health and fighting addiction. But later on, particulary in last decade, he completely reinvented himself as a character artist and explored his true acting potential in several memorable roles. From playing an underworld Don in Karan Malhotra’s Agneepath (2012) to his latest role as a 76-year-old son alongside Amitabh Bachchan in 102 Not Out (2018), a doting and idealist patriarch of a Muslim family in Mulk (2018) and a cranky nonagenarian in Shakun Batra’s Kapoor & Sons (2016), Rishi Kapoor tested his acting capabilities and created astounding characters on screen

For his pioneering performance and invaluable contributions to the Indian cinema, Rishi Kapoor was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. The actor’s last movie appearance was in The Body (2019), alongside Emraan Hashmi and Sobhita Dhulipala.

Rishi was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and was under extensive treatment in the US, before he returned to India in September 2019. Even after his return, the actor had to be admitted twice in February.

“He remained jovial and determined to live life 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,” a statement from his family said. “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.”

Here are some notes from celebrities who are grieving for this major loss on social media platforms:

https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/1255714491515285505?s=20

My heart is so heavy. This is the end of an era. #Rishisir your candid heart and immeasurable talent will never be encountered again. Such a privilege to have known you even a little bit. My condolences to Neetu maam, Ridhima, Ranbir and the rest of the family. Rest in peace Sir. pic.twitter.com/TR6GVSN4m7

— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 30, 2020

pic.twitter.com/p5IdXdw3wk

— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) April 30, 2020

For those interested to explore the colourful facets of Rishi Kapoor’s life, his biography titled ‘Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored’’ co-authored by Meena Iyer is highly recommended. The book has honest revelations from the actor about his trying times, how he dealt with flop films and about overcoming depression and alcoholism.

Rishi Kapoor had quite a fan following on Twitter, known for his frank opinions and tongue-in-cheek humour, his candour on twitter had his fans in splits. Rishi Kapoor will continue to live in the collective consciousness of Indian Film fans, as the endearing and lovable romantic – an evergreen symbol of youthful exuberance and romance.