Family, friends remember Rishi Kapoor on the actor's third death anniversary

For three decades, Rishi Kapoor personified the Bollywood romantic hero and on his third death anniversary, family, friends and collaborators remember his ‘charm’ and ‘endearing’ personality.

Rishi Kapoor, who acted in films ranging from 1973’s Bobby to the political drama Mulk in 2018, died at 67 on April 30, 2020, after a two-year battle with leukaemia.

For his son, Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, ‘nothing can prepare’ a person for dealing with a void a parent’s demise creates in their lives. “The biggest thing that happens in an individual’s life is when you lose one of your parents. That really is something…. Especially when you’re nearing your 40s, that’s the time when something like this usually happens…But it brings the family closer. It makes you understand life. It makes you value your loved ones, priorities, what matters and doesn’t matter,” the 40-year-old said.

Rishi Kapoor’s colleague Jackie Shroff remembered him as one of the finest actors Indian cinema had ever seen. “His charm, his twinkling eyes, his beautiful smile, were very endearing. There was a time when our group of friends would hang around Mumbai’s Nepean Sea road, and I would meet him there. He was my favourite. He was so good. He was so good in romance, comedy and emotion. He was one of the finest,” Shroff said.

His co-star from 1993 film Anmol, Manisha Koirala, said they all used to address him as ‘Lord Chintu ji’ on the sets. “His level of freshness, energy and charm that he would bring… The way he would dance, I don’t think anybody can replace him. In his later films, he was doing characters but he was performing brilliantly, so naturally. There is a huge space left after he has gone. I don’t think that can be filled with anybody else. Rishi Kapoor was a natural born actor.”