(The passion of love doesn’t ignite easily, but once it does, there is no stopping it).
This is one of the many unforgettable dialogues by the veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who succumbed to blood cancer this morning.
The man with a mischievous smile and innocent eyes had unleashed an era of unforgettable romance with his work. He began his acting career as a child actor playing the younger version of his father Raj Kapoor’s character in the iconic movie ‘Mera Naam Joker’. And later he played his first role of a lead actor in the unforgettable movie ‘Bobby’.
The romantic hero of the 70s continued to rule the screen and everyone’s heart in 80s and 90s as well. His personification of a lover in his movies inspired man across many generations to dress like him (we still adore the striped sweaters that Rishi Kapoor made so famous), donned his hairstyle, copied his mannerism and even tried wooing their heartthrobs like him.
Girls and women, on the other hand, adored Rishi Kapoor. And there were rumours about how women would gather around his shooting spot shouting his name!
He was the ultimate romantic hero, not just for the people of his generation but for people of many generations later. He has shown us what love is like—the young and fiery passion, the pain of unrequited love, love that knows no border, what it is like to die for love! He was the pied piper who played the tune of love and we all followed mesmerised and with eyes filled with hope. Lets’ look at how the evergreen chocolate hero inspired us to love and live life like a king.
Love is the ultimate leveller
The movie ‘Bobby’ was not just a blockbuster, it was a trendsetter. It introduced to us the genre of teenage romance; a rich vs. poor equation, just like Romeo and Juliet. This struggle had been there since ages, but Rishi Kapoor poured life to the character of the young Raj Nath, the son of a rich business tycoon who fell in love with a poor girl. Love knows no boundaries, and a young Rishi Kapoor taught us that.
Love is about sacrifice
When you love someone, you would do anything for that person right? And Rishi Kapoor through many his films have portrayed this. In the iconic movie ‘Chandni’, he lets the girl, whom he loved unconditionally, go when he was hospitalised after an accident knowing very well that he would never be able to walk again. Not just this, he had played to perfection the role of a lover who was ready to do anything and everything for his love.
Love knows no age
While the young Rishi Kapoor taught us about love and it’s many facets, his comeback movies also showed us the side of love that has aged gracefully. In the movie ‘Kapoor & Sons’ the veteran actor played the role of an affable grandfather who is in his ‘almost’ deathbed. But still his love for life, laughter and family isn’t diminished. He fondly talks about his wife, who is no more, and his love for the actress Mandakini, especially the scene from a movie where she was shot showering under a waterfall, is unforgettable. He has shown us love knows no age. Keep loving and laughing and he did the same till his last breath!