“Hum sainkadon janam lete hain. Kabhi pati patni banker, kabhi premi banker, toh kabhi anjaane banker, lekin milte zaroor hain aakhir mein. Nahi milenge to kahaani khatam kaise hogi.” (We take hundreds of births. Sometimes we become husband and wife, sometimes lover, sometimes strangers but in the end, it’s imperative that we meet. If we don’t get to meet each other, then how will our story end?)
That’s how we would want to remember him, the forever-charming boy of Bollywood, Rishi Kapoor, who took his last breath today, April 30, at 8:45 AM in a hospital in Mumbai. The news of his untimely demise came when the entire country was already mourning the death of the legendary actor Irrfan Khan.
सदमे के बाद सदमा, रिशी भी चला गया ..He fought a brave battle against cancer.
He was like son to me.I am extremely sad and shattered.Pray for his family 🙏🏻#RishiKapoor pic.twitter.com/jKCD8sYioC— Dharmendra Deol (@aapkadharam) April 30, 2020
He was undergoing treatment for leukaemia for the past two years and have been shuffling between Mumbai and New York regarding the same. His love for cinema was such that as soon as he returned to Mumbai in September 2019, he started shooting for a film. In February, during the shoot, he was hospitalised twice in Delhi due to health issues.
He was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday morning after he complained of breathing difficulties and was kept on the ventilator since then. His close friend and colleague, Amitabh Bachchan, was reported to be one of the first ones who broke this news on his social media account.
Later on, his family issued a message saying he was in his jovial self till his last breath and he kept the entire medical staff entertained. The statement said “He was grateful for the love of his fans that poured in from the world over. In his passing, they would all understand that he would like to be remembered with a smile and not with tears.” The family has also requested his fans to respect the lockdown laws during the Coronavirus pandemic and to not gather in public.
Rishi Kapoor’s daughter Riddima Kapoor who stays in Delhi has requested the concerned authorities for permission to travel to Mumbai in order to attend his father’s funeral.
Rishi Kapoor began his career as a child artist in Mera Naam Joker. As an adult protagonist, his first film was Bobby in 1973. He acted in many blockbusters in the Indian Film Industry which includes some iconic names like Prem Rog, Amar Akhbar Anthony, Kabhie Kabhie, Chandini, Damini, and the list is endless.