Rishi Kapoor’s death was mourned by the film industry, as Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Johar called it the end of an era of Hindi cinema, recalling his jovial and larger-than-life persona.
In a statement, his family said that the actor remained “determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents”. The actor died at the age of 67 on Thursday at H.N. Reliance Hospital after a two-year-long battle with leukaemia. His last rites were conducted at the Chandanwadi crematorium at Marine Lines and was attended by close family members. On social media, daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni said Rishi Kapoor was her “strongest warrior”.
Mr. Bachchan, a close friend and frequent collaborator of the actor, was the first to break the news on social media, but deleted his tweet later. They last acted together in 102 Not Out (2018).
Actor Rajinikanth, who worked with Rishi Kapoor in Dosti Dushmani (1986) said he was heartbroken. Ms. Mangeshkar said the actor’s passing away has created a huge void in the cinema industry. “It’s really tough for me to bear this pain,” she tweeted.
Singer Asha Bhosle said the actor was always by her side but she could not be with him in this hour of grief. Filmmaker Habib Faisal, who directed Kapoor in Do Dooni Chaar (2010), told The Hindu that the actor was keen on doing a sequel to the film once. “He was passionate about three thing: films, food and people,” said Mr. Faisal.
Filmmaker Nikhil Advani, who worked with Kapoor in D-Day told The Hindu , “We were pretty honest with each other and I would call it a unique friendship.”
Aamir Khan said that the industry has lost one of the greats today, who was “100 percent a child of cinema”. “You will be badly missed Rishiji,” he said. Madhuri Dixit said working with the veteran actor in films like Yaarana (1981) and Prem Granth (1996) was an honour and that she was “absolutely heartbroken” with his demise.
Filmmaker Maneesh Sharma, who directed him in Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) said, “He was the oldest person on set but the youngest at heart. It was the biggest pleasure for me when he agreed to do that film, and I was a fanboy throughout the shoot.”
