Many of Rajesh Khanna’s contemporaries were candid about their disdain for the superstar, and after his passing, several others shared stories of his tardiness and perceived arrogance, especially during the height of his career in the 1970s. In his autobiography, Rishi Kapoor revealed that he, too, harbored an “illogical” dislike for Khanna and even actively tried to dissuade his father, Raj Kapoor, from casting him in Satyam Shivam Sundaram.
Rishi admitted that he couldn’t fully explain why he disliked Khanna but felt compelled to confess to him years later. Before Khanna passed away in 2012, Rishi spoke with him about the past, confessing that he had objected to his casting in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. However, Rishi justified part of his dislike, recalling an incident on the sets of Bobby, where he felt Khanna disrespected his father. At the time, Dimple Kapadia, Khanna’s wife, was still completing her work on Bobby, and Raj Kapoor had to seek Khanna’s permission to film the remaining scenes. Rishi didn’t appreciate seeing his father in that position.
“No one really liked Rajesh Khanna in those days,” Rishi wrote. “I had seen him ridicule my father during an outdoor shoot of Bobby. Dimple was married to him by then, and my father had to seek his permission to film the remaining scenes with her. I had to see my father fawn over him. That unpleasant memory stayed with me, and I feared a repeat of such scenes if Kaka-ji joined the cast. Still, I have to concede that he was genuinely fond of Papa and would have given anything to have a Raj Kapoor film on his resume.”
Rishi also admitted that the rumors of the Kapoor family protesting against Khanna’s casting were true. “I was one of those who objected to Kaka-ji being cast in the film. It is not something I am proud of and later admitted as much to Kaka-ji before he died. We talked about it during the making of Aa Ab Laut Chalen, the film I directed, in which I had cast him in an important role.”
Reflecting on his feelings, Rishi admitted that there was no logical reason behind his dislike of Khanna. “He did me no harm, and I can see today that it was all my doing. So why did I dislike him?” he wondered.
Rishi Kapoor, the beloved Bollywood actor, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018 and subsequently underwent treatment in New York for nearly a year. Despite his battle with the illness, he maintained a positive spirit and continued to connect with fans and the film fraternity. However, his health took a turn for the worse, and he was admitted to Mumbai’s Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in April 2020. On April 30, 2020, at the age of 67, Rishi Kapoor passed away, leaving behind a legacy of iconic performances and a deep void in Indian cinema.
Comments
0 comment