Rishi Raj Kapoor was born in a Punjabi family at Chembur, Bombay, India on 4th September 1952, as well as was a part of the most star-studded family in Bollywood. Here are 5 of the best work of Rishi Kapoor, out of many, which should be watched by everyone at least once:

Mera Naam Joker (1970)

Rishi Kapoor was the younger version of the role played by his father, Raj Kapoor, in his debut film. His acting was splendid, and the film was about how one faced many heartbreaks and ultimately decided to become a clown with the intention of making everyone around him smile. The film won various awards, with Rishi Kapoor claiming the ‘National Film Award for Best Child Artist’ in 1971. The movie was truly a milestone in Indian cinema and Rishi Kapoor was off to a great start.

Bobby (1971)

This was the first lead role Rishi Kapoor played, and received insurmountable good reviews for his charisma and skills. The film was directed by his father, Raj Kapoor, who said that other mainstream actors were “too pricey” and so the role was given to Rishi. It is about how two young lovebirds, Raj and Bobby, face societal issues such as the caste-religion divide and gap between the rich and the poor. Rishi Kapoor won the ‘Filmfare Award for the Best Actor’ for this film in 1974 and it was one of the top-grossing movies in Bollywood.

Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)

Here, Rishi Kapoor shared the screen with Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna. It was a story about three brothers who got separated at a very young age to be brought up by families of different religions. Rishi Kapoor played the character of the youngest brother, Akbar Ilahabdai, who grew up to be a qawwali singer with his love interest, Dr. Salma Ali, being played the actor’s real-life partner Neetu Singh. The film was given several awards, and although the screen-time was divided into three lead roles, you can see how much fun they had while making the film as well as their individual effort and dedication.

Karz (1980)

The actor didn’t play the role of one, but two characters here. The film shows how a rich businessman, Ravi, gets coerced into marriage with his girlfriend, Kaamini, who ultimately murders him for his wealth and how Monty grows up with flashbacks of his previous life and exposes Kaamini for who she really is. The movie will forever owe its success to Rishi Kapoor’s fine acting skills for portraying two characters on screen.

Do Dooni Chaar (2010)

Rishi Kapoor plays the role of a schoolteacher, Mr. Duggal, who is barely making ends meet. The film shows the common struggles of middle-class families in India and how expensive it is for them to dream big. The chemistry between Rishi Kapoor and all the actors playing the rest of the family, including his real-life wife as his wife in the movie, is entertaining yet emotional. For his role, Rishi Kapoor won ‘Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor’ and ‘Stardust Award for Best Actor’ in 2011.

Some honorable mentions would be ‘Yeh Vaada Raha’, ‘Hum Kisise Kum Naheen’, ‘Sargam’, and ‘Bol Radha Bol’, with the ones where he plays supporting roles being ‘Yeh Hai Jalwa’, ‘Fanaa’, ‘Namastey London’, ‘Love Aaj Kal’, and ‘Patiala House’.

Within a span of 2 days, the world lost two iconic personas, completely different from each other, to cancer: Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor. You will be missed, and your legacy will live on.

RIP Rishi Kapoor
(1952-2020)