Rishi Kapoor passes away after fight with cancer: Family requests well-wishers to respect the lockdown restrictions

Rishi Kapoor, 67, passed away at 8.45 am this morning. He had been admitted to Mumbai’s Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital after he complained of breathing difficulties. The actor had been battling leukaemia since 2018 but had not revealed much about his health in recent interviews to the media. He did, however, confirm via a tweet in July 2019 that his cancer was in remission. [caption id=“attachment_4039389” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Rishi Kapoor[/caption] According to recent reports, Kapoor — who had been shooting for Sharmaji Namkeen in New Delhi — fell sick and was admitted to the Mumbai hospital on Wednesday morning. Doctors reportedly found a patch on his lungs that looked like pneumonia. Kapoor’s death comes a day after actor Irrfan Khan passed away in Mumbai after a prolonged battle with cancer. Khan, 53, succumbed to a colon infection. Randhir Kapoor, Rishi’s Kapoor’s older brother, had earlier told the media that Rishi Kapoor was experiencing breathing problems. Although there is no official confirmation of the cause of death in Kapoor’s case yet, doctors have reportedly said it was not COVID-19. This clarification is important because breathing difficulties and pneumonia (collection of fluids in the lungs) are both signs of COVID-19 infection. As per medical professionals, cancer patients have a compromised immune system which makes them more vulnerable to infectious diseases than a healthy person. Both cancer and chemotherapy reduce the number of infection-fighting white blood cells in the body leading to a condition called neutropenia. As a result, an infection can get worse quickly and lead to sepsis - a potentially life-threatening condition. Cancer and chemotherapy patients are also believed to be at a higher risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19 infection. Doctors have not been able to find the exact cause behind this but it has been reported that people suffering from blood cancer or bone marrow cancer are more prone to get severely affected by the disease. The actor, who was very active on Twitter, had not tweeted since 2 April 2020. A veteran of over 150 films made between 1955 and the present, Rishi Kapoor was known for his versatility, having worked in films like Bobby, Kabhie Kabhie, Karz, Amar Akbar Anthony, Fanaa, and more recently, Kapoor & Sons and Mulk. He is also known for sharing the screen with his wife, Neetu Kapoor, in some recent movies like Love Aaj Kal and Do Duni Chaar. Messages of condolence and loss started coming in on social media early on Thursday morning.

Deeply saddened on hearing about #rishikapoor ji
Yeh khabar sunke bohot dukh ho raha hai. I have such lovely memories of working with him.
Our country has lost a great actor today. May his soul rest in peace. 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/aVeKX9etkt

— Johny Lever (@iamjohnylever) April 30, 2020

At any other time, there might have been a big funeral for Rishi Kapoor, to give his family, friends and fans a chance to say goodbye properly. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted last rites and grieving, too. In a statement released this morning, Kapoor’s family wrote: “In this hour of personal loss, we also recognise the world is going through a very difficult and troubled time. There are numerous restrictions around movement and gathering in public. We would like to request all his fans and well-wishers and friends of the family to please respect the laws that are in force. He would not have it any other way.” For more information, read our article on Difficulty Breathing. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.