Rishi Kapoor was man of principles: Raza Murad remembers his journey talking to FPJ

Rishi Kapoor was man of principles: Raza Murad remembers his journey talking to FPJ

Film actor Raza Murad told Free Press Rishi Kapoor was a man of principles.

SmitaUpdated: Friday, May 01, 2020, 05:00 AM IST
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Rishi Kapoor |

Tinsel town is in gloom. A day after Irrfan Khan’s passing away, Bollywood lost another star Rishi Kapoor on Thursday.

Rishi, evergreen heartthrob, was co-actor of Irrfan in a film D-Day. A few Bhopalites, associated with Rishi, felt devastated. They told Free Press that they lost a great actor who was full of beans.

Film actor Raza Murad told Free Press Rishi Kapoor was a man of principles. He never turned around from what he said. Raza has done many movies under the banner of RK Films.

He worked with Rishi Kapoor in Prem Rog, Henna, Laila Majnu, Ye Ishq Nahi Aasan, Banjaran and Prem Yog. Raza said Rishi did not shoot on Sundays.

Sharing a memory related to a film Henna, the 69-year-old film actor said Zeba, a lead actor of the movie, had to go London on Sunday. So, Randhir Kapoor who was directing the film called Rishi for shoot for two hours only.

Rishi, however, declined to do so, saying if he shot on Sunday what would happen to others who he told he did not work on Sundays.

Raza said he had familial ties with Rishi. “He was fond of eating and of serving food. We were in touch with each other through Whatsapp and calls. We use to share jokes. It is my personal loss,” Raza said.

Film writer and director Rumi Jafferi who hails from Bhopal and lives in Mumbai said he knew Rishi for 27 years. “I cannot say anything; I’ve lost my elder brother; and I want to take part in his funeral,” said Rumi.

Rishi directed a movie, ‘Aa Ab Laut Chalen,’ which was written by Rumi. “It was because of Rishi that, my wife, children and I could go to the USA for the first time during the shooting of the movie,” Rumi said.

“He used to love me and attended my engagement ceremony, although there was Sangget ceremony of Nikhil Nanda, his nephew,” Rumi said.

On Eid, he wished my parents who live in Bhopal,” he said. Rumi had met Rishi for the first time in 1992 when a movie, Shreemaan Aashique, was being shot. It was Rumi’s first film, and people said it was not his cup of tea to script stories and dialogues for films.

Nevertheless, it was Rishi who had said in an interview that Rumi would be a great writer, like Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, one day. “And people began to take me seriously after that,” the writer said.

Everything was fine, but two days before the lockdown, he was admitted to Harkishan Das hospital due to infection. I was in touch with Rishi’s family through phone,” Rumi said.

An artist Raj Saini said he had met Rishi in 1993 when he was making the set design for a movie, Kanyadan, which was shot in Mumbai. When Raj was working for the film Rishi urged him to make a painting of Raj Kapoor.

Rishi was very humble, and everyone called him Chintuji and not Rishi, he said. Raj said, “I was very upset about the news of his death.” To pay tribute to Rishi, Raj made a portrait of the actor on flex in acrylic. He also made a sketch of the actor on demand from social activist Aneel Murarka who is in Mumbai.

Fifty-one-year-old Sangeeta Chaudhary Jain, an ardent fan of Rishi, said she never missed a single movie of the actor. She watched films, like ‘Bobby’ thrice and ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ twice. She said, “My friends and I used to watch his movies in theatre. As Kapoor family made good movies, we got permission from our parents to watch them,” said Sangeeta, state treasurer of Akhil Bharatvanshi Digamber Jain Mahila Parishad.

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