Rishi Kapoor — the romance king of the 80's and Bollywood's beloved 'Chintu' — passes away at 67

• Rishi Kapoor, lovingly known as Chintu, passed away on April 30 at the age of 67.
• His demise comes after a two-year battle with Leukemia.
• Over the span of career, Rishi Kapoor acted in 92 films where he was the romantic lead.

Bollywood is hit by yet another tragedy as veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, the romance king of the 80s, passed away earlier today, April 30 after a two year battle with cancer. The news soon after another top actor Irrfan Khan’s death yesterday — also a victim of cancer.


While most baby boomers remember him as a dancing star, for millennials he is popular for his Tweets. In fact, his last message was about healthcare workers in their battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have to win this coronavirus war together,” he tweeted, requesting people to avoid resorting to violence during these troubled times. The actor hadn’t posted on anything through his account since.


The actor’s brother, Randhir Kapoor, confirmed the news telling PTI, "He is no more. He has passed away." The Akbar of Amar Akbar Anthony was diagnosed in 2018 and had been undergoing treatment in New York for almost a year.


However, his wife Neetu Kapoor has been posting updates about him and according to her, he had taken to virtual yoga to keep fit even during the lockdown.


Rishi Kapoor’s legacy
Lovingly known as Chintu, Rishi Kapoor belonged to the first family of Bollywood. He was the grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor and the son of Raj Kapoor — both legendary actors and film-makers.


Even though his debut in Bollywood is often considered to be the movie Mera Naam Joker, he made his first screen appearance as a mere toddler in a movie called Shree 420 alongside his father. In the hugely popular song Pyaar Hua, Ikraar Hua Rishi Kapoor is seen walking with both his brothers in rain on the road.

And, he soon caught the acting bug — as Shashi Kapoor has often mentioned. According to Shashi’s anecdotes, Rishi used the practice dialogues, laughing and even crying in front of the mirror.

Even though Mera Naam Joker didn’t fare too well at the box office, Rishi’s father, Raj Kapoor, was adamant to make another movie that would launch his son into the limelight.

That’s when Bobby broke onto screens and the teenage love story — starring himself and Dimple Kapadia — launched both of them directly into stardom and breaking many a box office record.

He’s one of the few actors who’s proven very difficult to mimic for other actors.

Over the course of his career, Rishi Kapoor co-starred with actress Neetu Singh in 15 movies — whom he eventually married. The couple has two children — Ranbir Kapoor, who also followed in the footsteps of his parents to become an actor, and Riddhima Kapoor, a designer.

Rishi Kapoor vs Twitter trolls
Rishi Kapoor was known for his strong opinions. Just before his death, he asked the government to keep liquor stores open — even if it’s just for a while — amid the lockdown.


This led users to asking him if he stocked up on enough alcohol and a fierce response from the actor who wasn’t amused by the trolls — at all.


From Kanika Kapoor’s coronavirus stint to how Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, should handle the coronavirus crisis — Rishi Kapoor had an opinion on everything.



Even during the International Cricketing Council World Cup in 2017, he was seen trolling Pakistan even since they stepped into the finals.


Not only did he post his opinions, but he was also active in replies to any comments that came his way. He almost never backed away from exchanging recriminations who responded aggressively, or singling those out he felt were worthy of praise.


Ranbir Kapoor once told PTI that Rishi Kapoor can be a little too honest at times — but he’s a good man, not a hypocrite. And the world could have used more men like him.

See also:
Priyanka Chopra led Bollywood tributes to the late 'Slumdog Millionaire' actor Irrfan Khan

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