Subhash Ghai on Rishi Kapoor the 'child star': He was a simple soul, blunt, frank, honest
When Subhash Ghai directed Rishi Kapoor in Karz (1980), the actor was at the peak of his career as a dashing teenybopper icon. The film would establish Kapoor's credential as a versatile actor who could also effortlessly deliver blockbusters. He said, "I have so many memories with him that I can write a book on Rishi Kapoor. I came to know about his demise through Amitabh Bachchan's tweet. Then I called up his family, there was no response then I saw the TV, I was shocked. I couldn't believe it."
"Earlier this year, I had met him and he spoke to me about his new film and shooting. I told him 'Why do you work? You should take rest now. God has rung an alarm'. He said 'You can rest, but I can't. In the last five years, you didn't make any film after 'Kaanchi'. Make a new film, I am with you, everyone is with you'. It was like my dad scolding me whereas I had gone to scold him! I started laughing. For me, he is always Chintu, a kid. I could see a child in him till the end of his life."
"Our relationship was not of a professional level. We had an internal bonding. He was one of my dear friends. We used to worry about each other. He was a simple soul, blunt, frank, honest. Agar galat baat pe lada toh woh phone karta (if he fought on wrong issues, he would call up) and apologise."
"I would always tell him he is a star with a loverboy face, so no one would give him roles of a mafia chief, a dada or a gay. Later in life he did those roles and shocked me. Then he said, 'Now you write a character for me'."
"He knew that if he suited a character, I would take him otherwise I wouldn't. We used to often meet at functions, eat food at each other's homes. Our bonding never got over. Generally, after a film gets over, the actor forgets you and moves on. There are few who will be a friend of friends. People used to be surprised thinking these two don't do films together but 'dosti bohot hai'. We used to have heart-to-heart conversations. It was above our professional interest."
"I would definitely include Rishi Kapoor in one of the top five finest actors of India."
"He belonged to a family that was always united. Chintu was a family man. He had a great balance of family values and professional values."
"Chintu - bacha - bache ke wajah se woh ek acha insan tha, bache ke wajah se woh ek acha actor tha (he was a good person and actor because of the child in him) . He didn't let the child in him die. That was the best quality of Rishi Kapoor."
"A child star has gone. An actor who remained a child star for 45 years."
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