Rishi Kapoor Passes Away: Lesser Known Facts About Bollywood's Evergreen Actor

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Veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor passed away on 30 April 2020 after battling leukaemia for two years. The evergreen actor, who won the hearts of millions, was admitted to the Sir H N Reliance Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday, where he breathed his last. The shocking news of the demise of Rishi Kapoor shook the entire nation. The actor was under treatment in the US for over 11 months and returned to India in September 2019.

Rishi Kapoor died at the age of 67, when the nation was already grieving the loss of actor Irrfan Khan, who died on 29 April 2020 after suffering from a rare cancer for two years. As Bollywood and the country now mourns the loss of one of the most-loved actors of India, we have curated a few lesser-known facts about Rishi Kapoor. Read on.

1. Rishi Kapoor was born as Rishi Raj Kapoor to Indian actor, director and producer Raj Kapoor and his wife Krishna Raj Kapoor on 4 September 1952 in Chembur, Mumbai.

2. Rishi Kapoor was the grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor, the pioneer of the Hindi film industry and Indian theatre. Rishi Kapoor was the second among the five children of Raj Kapoor and Krishna Raj Kapoor. His brothers Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor; paternal uncles Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor; maternal uncles Prem Nath, Rajendra Nath, Narendra Nath and Prem Chopra are also actors in the Hindi film industry.

3. Rishi Kapoor was barely three years old when he first appeared in a movie. He featured in the song 'Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua Hai' in the movie Shree 420 in 1955, starring his father Raj Kapoor and Nargis Dutt. Rishi Kapoor was walking in the song with two other children. He once said that Nargis Kapoor bribed him to do the role by giving him chocolates.

4. It is said that Rishi Kapoor was a naughty child in his childhood. He was also a heartthrob from the very beginning.

5. Rishi Kapoor's debut film in his young age was Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker, released in the year 1970 and starring his father in the lead. Rishi Kapoor played the role of Raj Kapoor's childhood.

6. In the year 1973, Rishi Kapoor played the lead role as an adult in the movie Bobby opposite Dimple Kapadiya. Bobby was one of the biggest hits of that decade. Many people think that the movie was made to launch Rishi Kapoor as an actor but the actual story is different. During an interview in 2012, Rishi Kapoor said, "There was a misconception that the film was made to launch me as an actor. The film was actually made to pay off the debts of Mera Naam Joker. Dad wanted to make a teenage love story and he did not have money to cast Rajesh Khanna in the film."

7. In the year 1974, Rishi Kapoor won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his Bobby. Also Read: Rishi Kapoor Passes Away Of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia: Know More About This Cancer

8. Later it was rumoured that Rishi Kapoor was dating his co-star Dimple Kapadia. However, the alleged relationship didn't last long.

9. Rishi Kapoor worked in numerous movies both as a solo lead actor and in multi-starrer films. Some of his popular movies are Bobby, Rafoo Chakkar, Laila Majnu, Sargam, Karz, Prem Rog, Chandni, Nagina, Henna, Bol Radha Bol, Damini, Hum Kisise Kam Nahi, Saagar, Deewana, and Prem Rog.

10. During the 2000s, he went on to work as a supporting actor in Bollywood. Some of these popular movies are Namaste London, D-Day, Love Aaj Kal, Fanaa, Patiala House, Agneepath, Housefull 2, Mulk, Do Dooni Chaar, 102 Not Out, and Kapoor & Sons.

11. Rishi Kapoor married his co-star Neetu Singh on 22 January 1980. The couple had two children, Ridhima Kapoor Sahani and Ranbir Kapoor, a renowned Bollywood actor. Actresses Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor are his nieces. He was the maternal uncle of industrialist Nikhil Nanda.

12. It was in the year 2016 when Rishi Kapoor was honoured with the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award.

13. Rishi Kapoor won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the movie Kapoor & Sons in 2017. He also won the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same movie.

14. Rishi Kapoor won the Zee Cine Award for the Best Lifetime Jodi Award with his wife Neetu Kapoor in 2011.

15. It was in the year 2018 when Rishi Kapoor was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. He was receiving treatment in the US. He returned to India on 26 September 2019 after his successful treatment.

16. On Wednesday 29 April 2020, Rishi Kapoor was admitted to the Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai after complaining of difficulty in breathing. His elder brother Randhir Kapoor confirmed the news of the actor being admitted to the hospital. The much-loved actor died on 30 April 2020.

17. According to his co-stars and filmmakers, Rishi Kapoor was a hard-working and talented man who gave his best to every performance.

May his soul rest in peace.