Veteran Bollywood Actor Rishi Kapoor Dies at 67

Rishi Kapoor. 

(Photo Courtesy: IANS)

Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor passed away on Thursday, 30 April, after a two-year-long battle with cancer. He was 67.

Rishi breathed his last after he was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai last night.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter to express grief.

In a career spanning over five decades, Kapoor did over 90 films. He is survived by his wife Neetu Singh Kapoor and children Ranbir Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor. He married Neetu on 22 January, 1980 after working in a bunch of films together.

Rishi Kapoor’s first ever appearance in the movies was in Raj Kapoor’s Shree 420, a little Rishi, hardly 3-years-old is seen with two other children in the song Pyar Hua, Iqraar Hua.... filmed on Raj Kapoor and Nargis.

Rishi Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker.(Photo Courtesy: Pinterest)

The actor later made his official debut in Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker in 1970, where he played a young Raj Kapoor. His first film as a full-fledged leading man was in the super hit Bobby opposite Dimple Kapadia, which released in 1973. He went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the film.

Post that he was seen in a bunch of films including Laila Majnu, Rafoo Chakkar , Sargam, Karz, Prem Rog, Nagina, Honeymoon, Chandni, Heena and Bol Radha Bol.

Rishi came to be known as the ‘romantic hero’ and a host of female actors made their debut opposite him including Jaya Prada and Dimple Kapadia. He worked with Neetu Singh on 12 films including Khel Khel Mein, Amar Akbar Anthony and most recently Do Dooni Chaar.

In the 2000s however, he switched to supporting roles in films like Hum Tum, Fanaa, Love Aaj Kal and Namastey London. While he was his usual charming self in those films, he had a resurgence with strong characters in 2010 with Do Dooni Chaar.

Following which he won acclaim for his performances in films like Agneepath, D-Day, Kapoor and Sons and Mulk.