Rishi Kapoor passes away: From Bobby, Chandni to Kapoor & Sons, a look at celebrated actor's most remarkable films

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor has passed away aged 67 on Thursday. The ailing actor was hospitalised on Wednesday morning after he complained about breathing issues. He was admitted to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. Rishi was battling cancer, and had spent close to a year in New York City for treatment. He returned to Mumbai in September 2019. _(Also read on Firstpost: Rishi Kapoor passes away at 67 after battle with leukemia: 'He remained jovial, determined to live life to the fullest,' says family)_ The son of Raj Kapoor and the grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor, Rishi first appeared before the camera as a child in the 1950s, and later as an adult in the ’70s. “Acting was in my blood, and there was simply no escaping it,” he said in his autobiography _Khullam Khulla._ Touted as Bollywood’s first ‘chocolate boy,’ Rishi had set himself as a distinctive actor with brilliant acting chops. After the 2000s, we have witnessed the rise and rise of the sexagenarian, with his performance in many supporting roles garnering rave reviews. The unfortunate death of the stalwart brings back memories of the characters he has eternally etched in our minds. Here are Rishi’s some of his best films. Bobby [caption id=“attachment_5276411” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in a still from Bobby[/caption] Raj (played by Rishi), the son of a rich businessman, is brought up mostly by his nanny Mrs Braganza, (Durga Khote) until he is sent off to boarding school by his father Mr Nath (Pran). On his homecoming after years, there is huge celebration, this is where he first sets his eyes on the lissome Bobby (Dimple), daughter of Jack Braganza (Prem Nath), a poor fisherman. However, there romance is cut short when Raj’s parents decline their pair. The love story between Raj and Bobby had all the passion, daring and vulnerability of youthful romance. The success of this film was the very beginning of Rishi’s long and illustrious innings in Bollywood. Kabhi Kabhie

Kabhi Kabhie was an intimate love story panning over two decades, and featured Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhie, Shashi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi, and Neetu Singh. Kabhi Kabhie was a film that Rishi  rejected when Yash Chopra first offered it. It was only because Barood director Pramod Chakraborty allowed Rishi to take a break from the Paris schedule of the film and come to India that the actor could join the Kabhi Kabhie cast. Chandni [caption id=“attachment_4370557” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Sridevi with Rishi Kapoor in Chandni[/caption] Yash Chopra’s penchant for eternal love paved the way for blockbuster film Chandni. Rohit (Rishi Kapoor) and Chandni (Sridevi) are deep in love, and are set to marry each other. Things go awry when Rohit is paralysed following a mishap, and would not be able to give Chandni the love and support she needs, and he eventually lets her go. It is easy to dismiss Rishi as yet another version of the rich, handsome romantic hero but he seamlessly conveyed passion, defiance, gloom, and regret. Do Dooni Chaar [caption id=“attachment_5111191” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] In Do Dooni Chaar (2010), he played Santosh Duggal, a school teacher. Twitter @UzmaRS[/caption] Kapoor plays Math professor Mr Duggal, who runs between school and coaching classes, and struggles to keep up with the increasingly consumerist, ‘shining’ India. He drives the entire narrative quite literally, which also features Neetu Kapoor (hjs wife) as his reel wife. The common-man struggles and the daily squabbles of middle-class Indian families were aptly portrayed, and the Rishi Kapoor-Neetu pair worked like a charm in favour of the movie. Agneepath

Agneepath is the official remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s 1990 movie of the same name. Rishi plays the intimidating and fatherly Rauf Lala, a drug dealer and a pimp who runs a meat-selling business as his front to hide his criminal activities. It is indeed a treat to watch him go from the eternal lover boy of Indian cinema to downright crude and mean, but he plays the negative shade with as much flair as he did the light, playful ones. Kapoor & Sons [caption id=“attachment_5111181” align=“alignnone” width=“940”]  Rishi played a 90-year old in Kapoor & Sons. Screengrab from YouTube[/caption] Produced by Dharma Productions, Kapoor & Sons is a story of a dysfunctional family, where everybody is fighting their own battles afraid to confront the harsh – yet oddly consoling – realities. The glue of this broken family is the 90-year old, full-of-life grandfather, played by Rishi, who believes in the power of the internet and face masks. He fantasises Mandakini from Ram Teri Ganga Maili, loves to take selfies, creates ‘bloody’ games with his grandchildren, and smokes pot! He is the coolest grandfather we never had. _(Also read on Firstpost: Rishi Kapoor passes away at 67: Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Hema Malini mourn actor's death)_