Anupreet Singh :
After Irfan Khan, yet another irreparable loss to the industry, news of veteran actor Rishi Kapoor’s death demise brings the wave of grief to the entire nation. The versatile actor Rishi Kapoor breathed his last at the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital at Mumbai. he died at the age of 67 after a two-year battle with leukemia. He has been charming the millions of hearts as a romantic hero for decades. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2018, he underwent treatment in New York for almost a year. In September 2019, he returned to India but was rarely seen in public since.
His death left the country shocked and distressed. Fans and colleagues who were still reeling from the death of actor Irfan Khan a day ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Multifaceted, endearing and lively…this was Rishi Kapoor Ji. He was a powerhouse of talent. I will always recall our interactions, even on social media. He was passionate about films and India’s progress. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family and fans. Om Shanti.”
Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter to mourn the death of his co-star in multiple films. He wrote, “Rishi Kapoor… gone… passed away. I am destroyed!”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote, “This is a terrible week for Indian cinema, with the passing of another legend, actor Rishi Kapoor. A wonderful actor, with a huge fan following across generations, he will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends & fans all over the world, at this time of grief.”
Akshay Kumar called it a nightmare for Bollywood after the death of actor Irfan Khan just a day before on Wednesday. “It seems like we’re in the midst of a nightmare…just heard the depressing news of #RishiKapoor ji passing away, it’s heartbreaking. He was a legend, a great co-star, and a good friend of the family. My thoughts and prayers with his family,” he tweeted.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted in memory of his “schoolmate”. “Saddened to hear that my senior schoolmate at Mumbai’s Campion School, Rishi Kapoor, whom I competed within inter-class dramatics in 1967-68, has gone to a better world. From the romantic hero of Bobby to the mature character actor of his last films, he evolved remarkably. RIP” Tharoor tweeted.
Rishi Kapoor is survived by his wife Neetu Kapoor, son Ranbir and daughter Riddhima. Last seen in the 2019 films The Body and Jhootha Kahin Ka, Kapoor was meant to star in a Bollywood adaptation of The Intern with Deepika Padukone.