The Hindi movie star died on April 30 at the age of 67 from cancer.
Rishi Kapoor died on Thursday from cancer in Mumbai. Over five decades, the 67-year-old actor rolled out the hits, featured in numerous chart-busting songs, and aced character roles. Where do we even begin to pick from such a long and fruitful career?
Mera Naam Joker (1970)Rishi Kapoor’s first full-length role was in his father Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker in 1970. The movie follows the travails of circus clown Raju (Raj Kapoor). Raju’s first love is as a teenager, when he falls for his teacher (Simi Garewal). The fake joy Raju summons up at his teacher’s wedding comes handy when he begins a life under the Big Top.
Bobby (1973)Rishi Kapoor’s first leading role was once again handled by his father. In Raj Kapoor’s Bobby (1973), Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia were perfectly cast as young inter-faith lovers throwing caution to the winds.
Among the movie’s most popular tunes is Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Bandh Ho. Although this evergreen hit is about two lovers trapped in a room, the song takes the characters out to green valleys, dark forests with tigers, and snow-capped mountains.
‘Oh Hansini’, Zehreela Insaan (1974)Sporting a thin moustache, Kapoor looked much older than he was in Zehreela Insaan. But the command with which he enunciates every word of this slow romantic song and expresses the right emotion and right beat does not give a hint of his age.
Rafoo Chakkar (1975)The Some Like It Hot-inspired comedy stars Kapoor and Paintal as musicians who witness a murder and dress themselves up as women to save themselves. This was already Kapoor’s third film with Neetu Singh, and it’s hard to tell who was prettier. The movie has ghastly make-up, questionable drag-themed comedy, peppy songs (including Kisi Pe Dil Agar) andcrackling Rishi-Neetu chemistry.
Khel Mein (1975)More Rishi-Neetu magic and nifty footwork in this crime thriller that inspired the Abbas-Mustan-directed Khiladi years later. Khel Mein is packed with great songs, including Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, Humne Tumko Dekha and Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karenge.
By the time of Khel Mein’s release two years after Bobby, Kapoor had come into his own as a singing-dancing romantic hero. In Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, Kapoor is jauntier and more confident in his expressions.
Humne Tumko Dekha, among Kapoor’s earliest guitar-on-stage songs, showcases his shimmying skills and ability to hold centrestage without an accompanying heroine.
Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karenge is a step forward: a rebellious declaration of love in an inebriated state. Witness Kapoor’s ability to command attention throughout a seemingly unchoreographed song.
Laila Majnu (1976)This stirring version of the Laila-Majnu tragedy pairs Kapoor with Ranjeeta. Kapoor is well-suited to play the young Qais, whose love for Laila makes him lose his mind – he becomes a “majnoon” – and wander in the desert.
Parda Hai Parda, Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)Kapoor is Akbar, one of three brothers raised in different faiths. Manmohan Desai’s manic comedy explores Amitabh Bachchan’s comic timing and Vinod Khanna’s brawniness, but Kapoor has many moments and the movie’s best tunes.
