‘Rishi Kapoor’ followed by 2 folded hands emojis!

The morning of 30th April 2020 began with a Whatsapp message.

Feeling the by now much familiar hollow in the pit of the stomach, I clicked open a news site, and there it was. The confirmation. ‘Rishi Kapoor: Bollywood’s romantic hero dies at 67’! The eyes welled up instantly. Nowadays, they hardly need a reason.

What? Just a day after coming to terms with Irrfan’s demise….now Rishi, too? Why are these talented artistes leaving one by one?

‘Because that’s how it is. Because that’s the only inevitable truth. Because now you are old. Because now your world is coming apart, piece by piece’…. the mind answered!

Yes, Rishi was an important piece of my life, even though I never ever met him in person. That’s how usually it plays…this relationship between an artist and an admirer. Unknown to that artist, the admirers keep on accumulating, processing, discussing and savoring so many moments from their icon’s life and career; making those moments their own.

The mind kept racing back and forth, picking up those innumerable Rishi- moments scattered in different corners, collected randomly over my fifty-plus years of existence; moments that had made my world richer; moments that had made my world ‘my’ world.

Shree 420, a film made way back in 1955, a full decade before I was born…the magic of Black & White …. Raj Kapoor and Nargis drenched in the rain….Lata singing….’Hum naa rahenge tum na rahoge, phir bhi rahengi nishaniyan’….The camera on three cute small kids walking on the street… a toddler Rishi in the raincoat walking with elder siblings Randhir and Ritu…a toddler, who was apparently bribed with a chocolate to give that shot…by none other than Nargis! His first brush with the silver screen!

Mera Naam Joker… 1970….Papa Raj Kapoor’s ambitious dream project….Rishi, the toddler has now turned into a chubby cherubic school-kid…..holding on to his innocence and childhood through the stuffed clown in his hands….feeling the pangs of puppy love for his sweet, beautiful teacher….his guilt-ridden coming of age moment….surreptitiously watching her changing clothes in the bushes…winning a Best Child Artist National award for that natural performance….handing over that trophy to his grandpa Prithviraj Kapoor to savour! Yet another Kapoor coming into filmdom…following the footsteps of his illustrious family members. One thing that was not known then, though. That this particular Kapoor, nicknamed ‘Chintu’ would go on to become the finest actor in that proverbial first family of Hindi cinema. Even today, watching Mera Naam Joker makes you realize that the Rishi Kapoor part of that Raj Kapoor classic stands out the most.

Bobby…1973….Papa RK makes his son RK lose weight…the son is going to play the hero in a teenage love-story, the likes of which had never been seen in Hindi cinema….a fresh, bold take….real teenagers playing lovers…eloping to find their panacea….Main shaayar to nahi; Jhooth bole kauaa kaate; Hum tum ek kamre mein band ho….a super-hit musical….a star is born. A chocolate hero to beat all other chocolate heroes into oblivion.

This chocolate hero not only did have the melting looks, a killer smile and a zingy dancing rhythm; he also had the acting chops to stand tall in front of anyone. In the 70s and 80s, an era dominated by formulaic films full of melodrama, ‘dialogues’ and action, Rishi brought a natural charm, a heartfelt sincerity and a youthful zest in his performances. He used his eyes, body language and voice modulations superbly and could do justice to every emotion. For the generations growing up and coming of age in the 70s and 80s he became the icon of youth and romance.

It was no wonder that he could work up endearing playful romantic chemistry, with Neetu Singh (Kabhi Kabhie, Khel Khel Mein, Rafoo Chakkar), Dimple Kapadia (Bobby, Saagar), Tina Munim (Karz, Yeh Vaada Raha) or any other heroine on screen. But it was always enthralling to see how he held his own against the towering Bachchan in his prime. Rishi was one of the few stars (or rather star-actors!) who made his presence felt consistently in that Angry Young Man-era, where practically every other screen persona played second fiddle to the reigning superstar. Even in Kabhi Kabhie, Amar Akbar Anthony or Naseeb, Rishi always left his indelible mark in spite of the Bachchan brilliance.

Of course, many of the films, iconic as they are for remembering that era, now feel out of place and time, but still we can watch them just to enjoy his crackling screen presence, his perfectly pitched performances and yes, how could I ever forget his songs and dances? The gay abandon in Khullam khulla pyar karenge hum dono; the ‘drag’ show in ‘Chhuk Chhuk Chhak Chhak Bombay Se Baroda Tak’; the rose-pelting in ‘Parda hai parda’; the swagger in ‘Bachna Aye Haseeno Lo Main Aa Gaya’; the dafali in ‘Dafaliwale dafali bajaa’ or the solo waltz steps in ‘Tu Tu hai Wohi’…Rishi made those songs and dances unforgettable. Shailendra Singh, Kishore Kumar or Mohammed Rafi…any singer would suit him and that was mainly thanks to Rishi’s unique adaptability. In fact, the first time Rishi met Rafi at a recording, the golden era great singer complimented how Rishi performed his songs as well as the legendary Dilip Kumar and Shammi Kapoor!

As the chocolate years melted away and the 1990s (his forties) approached, Rishi shifted into another gear through films like Ek Chaddar Maili Si, Chandni, Bol Radha Bol and Deewana. They were his last hurrahs as the leading man, on the way, proving his maturity and versatility as an actor, time and again.

It was his post-millennium transition into the character actor roles that truly released Rishi’s acting potential in the most spectacular way. Meaty roles were specially created for him and he simply relished them. If the harried middle-class professor trying to buy a car in Do Dooni Chaar; the gay teacher in Student of The Year; the naughty grand-grandfather in Kapoor And Sons and the bumbling techno-ignorant father in Rajma Chawal brought forth his comedic talent; then the memorable roles of the gangster Rauf Lala in Agneepath, the mafia-don Dawood Ibrahim in D-Day and the corrupt cop Ravikant in Aurangzeb presented his never-before-seen negative screen persona. 102 Not Out brought him together with Big B once more, playing the septuagenarian son of Bachhan’s centurion father, Rishi brought a rare sensitivity and vulnerability to that character and in the process, easily outscored the mightier Big B in the film.

The best role of his post-millennial journey was in Mulk. Rishi was simply fabulous there as the God-fearing Muslim lawyer, who at the fag end of his life, finds himself devastated by the terrorist act of his grandson, and in the eye of the storm as the law and the long-standing friends start looking at him suspiciously. His get-up, his body language and his restrained emoting had nailed that character.

In the latter years, Rishi’s life and career; his approach and demeanor became clearer to his fans through his autobiography and his tweets. Like his autobiography’s title, he truly seemed to believe in the ‘Khullam Khulla’ approach, and often ruffled feathers with his no holds barred, no nonsense comments. Still, watching his interviews, one could always sense that here was a sensitive, intelligent man with Khaandaani grace. He was game enough to even admit how he had 'bought' the Filmfare award for Bobby!

Neetu was his perfect partner on and off screen, going through the highs and lows of a celebrity marriage and remaining strong to keep her difficult- (by her and his own admission!) husband grounded. After playing the role of Rishi’s food-and-fitness consultant throughout their married life, she played  his caretaker and cheer-leader in his long battle against the dreaded cancer. Just when everything seemed to be taking turn for the better, the calamity struck.

Neetu’s farewell Instagram post pic showed Rishi sporting a bright smile with a drink in his hand. The caption was heartbreaking … ‘End of our story!’

Well, for me, like millions of others, it will always remain ‘A never ending story’! Artists like him live forever through the countless memories and moments intertwined within the collective consciousness.

Long live Rishi, the talented handsome Kapoor who broke and mended a million hearts!