Rishi Kapoor, The Youthful Symbol Of Yesteryear Romance, Passes On

A day after the death of actor Irrfan Khan comes the news that one of the Hindi cinema’s most prolific actors, from Bollywood’s most revered family, Rishi Kapoor has breathed his last.

He was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai after he complained of breathing problems yesterday. Kapoor was suffering from cancer and was in a hospital in the US for a year before he returned to India.

The 67-year-old actor was admitted to the H. N. Reliance hospital.

Raj Kapoor, his father, first cast him in the male lead in Bobby opposite Dimple Kapadia, which became a runaway hit and shot them both to instant stardom. Other films such as Khel Khel Mein, Laila Majnu, Amar Akbar Anthony, Kabhie Kabhie, Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin, Sargam, Karz, Chandni, and Agneepath (2012) are part of his vast filmography. His roles in Mulk and Kapoor and Sons, in recent years, have been most memorable.

Kapoor, who has been quite active on social media, did not post anything on his Twitter account since 2 April. Before that, Kapoor and Deepika Padukone had, in January, signed up to star in the Indian adaptation of the 2015 Hollywood film The Intern. Both the actors had announced the film on their social media handles.

Rishi Kapoor was born in 1952 to Raj Kapoor, one of India's greatest film-makers, and his wife Krishna Kapoor. He first appeared as the young boy in Shree 420 in the song ‘Pyar hua ikraar hua’ and as young Raju in his father’s magnum opus Mera Naam Joker that won him a national award for Best Child Artist. He was later paired in romantic lead roles with Neetu Singh in films like Rafoo Chakkar and Khel Khel Mein, and they went on to become a hit screen pair in the ’70s. Screen romance then turned real and they went on to marry.

Rishi Kapoor is survived by his wife Neetu Singh, and son, actor Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahani.