Rishi Kapoor

Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 – 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films.

He was the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards, in a career that spanned 50 years.

Born into the Kapoor family, he made his debut, as an adolescent, in his father Raj Kapoor's film Mera Naam Joker, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist.

As an adult, his first lead role was opposite Dimple Kapadia in the teen romance Bobby, which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Kapoor was born on 4 September 1952 at his family's home, Raj Kapoor Bungalow, in Matunga, South Bombay, in the then-Bombay State of India, into a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family of the Kapoor clan, from Peshawar and originally from Samundri, to parents Raj Kapoor and Krishna Malhotra.

He attended Colonel Brown Cambridge School in Dehradun, Campion School in Bombay and Mayo College in Ajmer.

Being part of the Kapoor family, he was the second son of legendary actor-director Raj Kapoor and Krishna Raj Kapoor (née Malhotra).

Likewise, his family encompasses a successful line of actors, including brothers, Randhir and Rajiv Kapoor; grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor; paternal granduncle Trilok Kapoor, maternal uncles Prem, Rajendra, and Narendra Nath, as well as Prem Chopra; paternal uncles Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor.

Rishi Kapoor's two sisters, on the other hand, include late Ritu Nanda, who was an insurance agent, and Rima Jain.

The actresses Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, the actors Armaan Jain and Aadar Jain, and Nitasha Nanda and the businessman Nikhil Nanda are his nieces and nephews.

Around the age of three, Kapoor's first on-screen appearance was a cameo in his father Raj Kapoor's film Shree 420 (1955), where he would appear in the musical sequence of "Pyaar Hua, Iqraar Hua Hai".

He consistently starred in top grossing Indian films from mid 1970s to 1990s, such as Rafoo Chakkar, Kabhi Kabhie, Laila Majnu, Amar Akbar Anthony, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, Sargam, Naseeb, Kaatilon Ke Kaatil, Prem Rog, Coolie, Nagina, Chandni, Henna, Deewana, Bol Radha Bol and Damini.

He also received praise for his performances in Karz, Yeh Vaada Raha, Saagar, Tawaif, Naseeb Apna Apna, Hathyar and Saajan Ka Ghar.

Likewise, Raj Kapoor would direct the film that provided Rishi his debut role, the 1970 film Mera Naam Joker, in which the actor would portray the young version of the lead character (played by Raj Kapoor).

His performance in the film earned him the National Film Award for Best Child Artist.

Between 1973 and 2000, Kapoor starred as the romantic lead in 92 films.

Rishi Kapoor's first leading role in adulthood came opposite Dimple Kapadia, in the 1973 teen romance Bobby, also directed by his father.

Bobby went on to become one of the decade's biggest hits in India, and earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Following Bobby (1973), he starred in several light-hearted comedies within that decade, including, among others: Khel Khel Mein (1975) and Rafoo Chakkar (1975) with Neetu Singh; Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) with Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna; and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977) with Zeenat Aman.

Between 1973 and 2000, Kapoor's other film roles (mainly as the romantic lead) include: Raaja (1975), Laila Majnu (1976), Sargam (1979), which earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, Bade Dil Wala (1983), Tawaif (1985), which earned him another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, Bol Radha Bol (1992), Deewana (1992) and Karobaar (2000).

Kapoor worked with actress Neetu Singh for the first time in Zahreela Insaan (1974).

The two would go on to share screen space in multiple projects, including Kabhi Kabhie (1976) and Doosra Aadmi (1976), and would eventually marry in 1980.

In 1980, Kapoor starred along with Tina Munim in Subhash Ghai's musical reincarnation thriller Karz (1980), which went on to become a cult classic with a highly popular soundtrack.

He appeared as the second lead in several multi-starrer films in the 1980s such as Naseeb (1981), Kaatilon Ke Kaatil (1981), Coolie (1983), Dosti Dushmani (1986), Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1988) and Gharana (1989).

In a role considered one of his career-best works, Kapoor played an idealistic Devdhar in the 1982 musical romantic drama Prem Rog, a film based on the concept of widow remarriage, co-starring Padmini Kolhapure, which earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Another highlight of his career was the musical romantic drama Saagar (1985), directed by noted director Ramesh Sippy, which saw Kapoor reunite with Dimple Kapadia, 12 years after they made their debuts in Bobby.

In the 1986 drama Ek Chadar Maili Si, adapted from Rajendra Singh Bedi's novel of the same name, Kapoor would play a man forced by customs to marry his widowed sister-in-law, played by Hema Malini.

He ended the decade on a high with Yash Chopra's blockbuster romantic musical Chandni (1989) starring as Sridevi's love interest, Rohit, a helpless romantic-turned-cripple, which earned him another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

In 1991, Kapoor starred along with Pakistani actress Zeba Bakhtiyar in Henna, a tale of love across national borders, which was envisioned by his father, Raj Kapoor, and directed by his elder brother Randhir Kapoor.

Henna was India's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Kapoor also had a leading role in the 1993 film Damini, co-starring Meenakshi Seshadri and Sunny Deol, that went on to be considered a classic socially-oriented film.

Kapoor debuted as a director in Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) which starred Rajesh Khanna, Akshaye Khanna and Aishwarya Rai.

Since the 2000s, Kapoor played character roles to critical acclaim in films such as Hum Tum, Fanaa, Namastey London, Love Aaj Kal, Agneepath, Housefull 2, Aurangzeb, Shuddh Desi Romance, 102 Not Out and Mulk.

For his performance in Do Dooni Chaar, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics), and for his role in the ensemble family drama Kapoor & Sons, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

His final film appearance was in Sharmaji Namkeen, which was released posthumously.

Kapoor met his wife, actress Neetu Singh while working in films on film set.

They have 2 children.

Regarding the film, he would say in a 2012 interview: "There was a misconception that the film was made to launch me as an actor. The film was actually made to pay 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."

He died of leukemia on 30 April 2020, aged 67.