The Life And Legacy of The Prince of Romance: Rishi Kapoor

“Kya umar, kya sama, kya zamana tha…”

Rishi Kapoor was born in 1952 in the illustrious “Kapoor” Family whose legacy in Bollywood and Theatre is unmatched. He was the grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor, the pioneer of Indian theatre and Hindi cinema, and the son of Raj Kapoor and Krishna Kapoor. The Kapoor lineage has produced many Bollywood superstars and Rishi Kapoor is one of them.

He has had more than 50 glorious years in the Film Industry that tell it’s own golden tale. His first appearance in films happened when he was just a toddler, in the song “Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua” from the film “Shree 420” in 1955.

His debut as a child artist was in his father’s popular movie, Mera Naam Joker in 1970. His proper Bollywood debut was with the famous film, “Bobby” in 1973 with co-star Dimple Kapadia. The film did very well and also won a Filmfare award for best movie. This was a great start for the actor in the industry which only led to further success and many more amazing movies to come.

The suave actor’s personal life was as glorious as his life on reel. He married the love of his life and his 15-times co-star Neetu Kapoor, after 5 years of being together. He was the true “Prince of Romance” both on and off screen.

The amazing actor went on to act in several Bollywood movies and set new standards for Romance in the industry. Some of those cinematic jewels were “Chandini”, “Deewana”, “Nagina” and ”Prem Rog”. His work was so honest and brilliant that it will remain eternal.

Rishi Kapoor had a charm and presence that made him hard to miss. His negative character of Rauf Lala films like “Agneepath” is one of a kind. Moreover, we all loved and wanted to pull the cheeks of the Daadu he played in the 2016 movie, “Kapoor and Sons.”

Moreover, Rishi Kapoor was also a style icon, setting trends with every movie. His shimmering outfit from the song Om Shanti Om was a rage at the time. Want to know how knitwear became a style statement in India? It was Rishi Kapoor carrying colorful sweaters flawlessly in his films that made this fashion hard to resist. He even talked about his passionate collection of sweaters in several interviews. These sweaters only added to the boyish charm that the actor was born with.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and underwent a marrow treatment in New York. He returned to India after the treatment in 2019. We lost this great legend in April 2020 but his work, personality and impact in the industry make him unforgettable and eternal. Lovingly known as Chintu ji, Rishi Kapoor will always have a special place in all our hearts.

Here are some of his films that are a must watch:

1. Deewana (1992)
2. Bobby (1973)
3. Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
4. Hum Kissi Se Kum Nahi (1977)
5. Chandini (1989)
6. Kabhi Kabhie (1976)
7. Damini (993)
8. Bol Radha Bol (1992)
9. Kapoor & Sons (2016)
10. Mulk (2018)