A Life beyond Age

Rishi Kapoor’s life may have been cut short, but his career had a longevity all actors dream of

- ANUBHAV SINHA

It is almost impossible for me to come to terms with Rishi Kapoor’s passing so soon, but I do remember my earliest memory of him. I was eight when I went to see Bobby (1973) in a theatre. He was the ‘loverboy’ then, and that impression did abide for a while. All the memories that I have of him from that era are those of a good actor who mostly played happy-go-lucky characters. But one film that left a very, very deep impact on me was Prem Rog (1982), which saw him essay a very different role.

Despite having been in Bombay for 30-odd years, and having met most legends at some party or another, I had, strangely, never met Rishiji. Once I had finished writing Mulk (2018), I knew I wanted him in the film, but we had no connection whatsoever. A friend then set up a meeting and I went to meet him, wanting to narrate the film. I knew I needed him to make