Archive for April 2020

Home Archive for April 2020

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Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30, 2020 early in the morning after his long battle with leukemia. The actor, who was being treated in New York for almost a year, returned to India last year in September and was looking forward to getting back to work. His pillar of strength was his wife Neetu Kapoor who stayed with him in NYC throughout his treatment while his kids Ranbir Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni often visited him.

Rishi Kapoor on his support system Neetu Kapoor – “We were made for each other”

In the year 2017 during the promotions of his autobiography ‘Khullam Khulla’, the actor spoke highly of his wife with whom he shared screen space for years before they fell in love and got married. She had written an excerpt in the book. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama about Neetu and how crucial she has been in his life, Rishi joked, “She has also written some nasty things about me.”

He said, “We were made for each other. Well, all said and done! We met very early in our life. When I started my career, Dimple Kapadia got married (to Rajesh Khanna), so I had no heroines to work with. I was a 21-year-old man and with no heroines because Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, and Rakhee looked older to me. They may be a couple of years elder to me in age but they all looked elder to me. So, obviously I could not be paired opposite them. So there is this saying that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’! That is why it was necessary to actually cast new girls with me because there was no star only available to work with me. Either it was Neetu, Moushami Chatterjee, or a new girl.”

“That’s how I worked a lot with Neetu, sometimes two shifts a day, then we got closer and obviously, we fell in love. We wanted to get married. We decided amongst ourselves that one will be a homemaker and one will be a breadwinner. So, I decided to become the breadwinner and she was the homemaker. She gave me two lovely kids, thankfully. God has been kind. We’ve had a normal life, we have our share of fights and arguments which I think every normal couple has. It’s been quite smooth for us,” he further added.

Both Neetu and Rishi made their debut in the Hindi film industry during their teen years. They went onto star in12 films together including Khel Khel Mein (1975), Rafoo Chakkar (1975), Kabhie Kabhie (1976), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Duniya Meri Jeb Mein (1979) and their guest appearance in Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978).

She made her comeback in films with Love Aaj Kal (2009) and was paired opposite Rishi in all of them including Do Dooni Chaar (2010), Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Besharam (2013).

ALSO READ: Kapoor family releases a statement on Rishi Kapoor’s death, urges the fans to respect the laws enforced by the Government

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The legendary Sharmila Tagore is devastated by the double blow that Indian cinema has received on two successive days. "Why are these younger actors going and the older ones are still around? First, we lost Irrfan who was an absolute favourite and now Rishi Kapoor who was not only a fabulous actor but also part of my family. In fact I’m trying to call (daughter-in-law, Rishi’s niece) Kareena since morning. But can’t get through," Sharmilaji has barely been able to get over the first tragedy before the second struck.

In two days I’ve lost two of my favourite actors, says Sharmila Tagore

"I took Irrfan’s death very personally. He was an actor I related deeply to. His performances in films like Maqbool, Paan Singh Tomar, for which he won the National award, and The Namasake were so subtle layered and brilliant…I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen The Namesake. Irrfan transformed into a Bengali gentleman. He learnt Bengali for the film. My daughter Soha has done three films with Irrfan. I’m very envious of her."

Sharmilaji remembers meeting Irrfan at an international film festival some years ago. "I remember him as very silent, not saying much but very observant. He spoke about how important it was for an actor like who believed in realistic acting to bridge the gap between niche and populist cinema , and how realistic acting became boring after a point. Irrfan wanted to change that. If you watch his performances keenly he always ended his scenes on an ambiguous note…a quirky twitch of the eyebrow, a cryptic smile. His performances intrigued me. I wanted to know what he was going to do next. What was he hiding?"

With Rishi Kapoor it was just the opposite. Says Sharmilaji, "He came on the screen like a bright light and embraced the audience. Unlike Irrfan who always seemed to withhold something, Rishi spilled it all out and connected unconditionally with the audience. No matter what he played, the lover boy or the old father in 102 Not Out he was completely into character. I remember this film of his with Dimple Kapadia, Pyaar Mein Twist where he was shown walking his dog. He looked so proper and gentlemanly. In Hum Tum he came into the plot midway. But the screen brightened the minute he walked in. Rishi had a rare ability to immerse himself in every character completely. And he was a people’s person. He could connect with the audience immediately."

Sharmilaji remembers receiving a joint award with Rishi some years ago. "We were both given Filmfare awards for Lifetime Achievement. Rishi openly grumbled about why he was being bracketed with me since I was around for so much longer. That’s the he was .He spoke his mind regardless of the repercussions. Recently he tweeted about liquor shops being opened during the lockdown. People were outraged. But he had a point. Those addicted to alcohol are bound to get restless sitting at home."

Sharmilaji feels the unfairness of the double loss very strongly. "Irrfan and Rishi had both gone for treatment of their cancer. They came back and we all hoped that they would be fine. That was not to be. I don’t know what greater calamities this year has in store."

Also Read: With Rishi Kapoor’s demise, fate of these films remains uncertain

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Deepak Dobriyal who is in faraway Uttarkhand is now negotiating a new form of lockdown. “I am in a state of denial about Irrfan Bhai’s going. Till the other day he was a fighter, a warrior in the true sense of the word. People from the outside can’t see what he went through for three and a half years. I was with him. I know the pain he and his wife Sutapa have endured. I can’t imagine he has been defeated in the battle. So I am here pretending to myself that he’s still with us.”

I'm pretending Irrfan Khan bhai is still with us - Deepak Dobriyal

Deepak spent a good four years shooting with Irrfan and getting to know him. “And he became not just a part of my life but my wife’s too. He would tell my wife to look after me and handle me with kid’s glove as I am very bholu (innocent). After coming in contact with Irrfan Bhai my wife actually started looking at me with more respect. That’s how generous kind and loving Irrfan Bhai was towards me. I remember a Holi party at Tigmanshuji (Dhulia)’s home some years ago… as soon Irrfan Bhai saw me he rushed to me and kissed me so hard on my forehead that at Tigmanshuji commented, ‘Yaar, why haven’t we worked together yet?’”

Deepak reveals that Irrfan looked out for him. “As an actor and a brother he was protective of me. I remember when I had done a shot in Hindi Medium that he especially liked he wanted to edit it personally so my performance showed up well. Kaun aisa karta hai? He recommended me for many films like Blackmail, and Qareeb Qareeb Single but made sure no pressure was put on me to accept the offers. We actually did just two films together Hindi Medium and Angrezi Medium. But it seems like a lot more because of the impact. We spent a good four years of our lives doing these two films. Working with him changed my life. I learnt about how generous an actor can be to a co-star and that long-lasting friendships can be made even in this professional industry. We were so good together on screen because we never felt threatened by one another. We were like two sides of the same coin.”

Deepak’s favourite Irrfan performances? “Was he ever less than brilliant? But I think Haasil, Paan Singh Tomar, Maqbool, Life In A Metro, The Namesake and The Lunchbox were the highpoints of his career. I even liked him in Chandrakanta. But when I said so he would get annoyed.”

Deepak pauses to remember that his dear friend and brother is actually gone. “Yeh iss saal ho kya raha hai(what is happening this year?). I am stuck so far away. I couldn’t be present at my Bade Bhai’s last rites. I can’t forgive myself for this. My heart reaches out to Sutapa Bhabhi (Mrs Irrfan Khan). People have seen only 5 percent of the struggle Irrfan has gone through, the other 95 percent that Sutapa Bhabhi went through is not known to anyone.”

Also Read: Homi Adajania speaks about how Irrfan Khan and Deepak Dobriyal give sibling rivalry a congenial touch in Angrezi Medium

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Actor Rishi Kapoor, after a two-year-long battle with cancer, passed away at a Mumbai hospital today morning. A legend in true sense and an entertainer for decades, the actor fought his battle bravely and the dreadful disease never got the better of him, during the testing times.Kapoor was last seen in Jeetu Joseph's The Body, a thriller co-starring Emraan Hashmi. And as we write this, his unfinished film Sharmaji Namkeen lies on the table. Helmed by Hitesh Bhatia, the film starring Juhi Chawla alongside him rolled in December last year. The actor, post his return from New York after a year-long treatment, was eager to return to work, and began shooting with full vigour. A handful of delightful photos from the sets also made their way to the internet. However, with Kapoor's demise, one can't be certain as to what's in the film's fate.

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Wishing 'SHARMAJI NAMKEEN ' all the very very best, as shooting starts to roll !! May it be one of the most charming films of 2020 ..!!???????? @ritesh_sid @faroutakhtar @honeytrehan

A post shared by Juhi Chawla (@iamjuhichawla) on Dec 9, 2019 at 12:34am PST

Later, in February this year, a Hindi remake of The Intern was announced, with Rishi Kapoor and Deepika Padukone as the lead actors. In a statement, Kapoor described the film as a relevant one for the "present-day Indian workplace milieu". The adaptation was supposed to release in 2021.

Moving on to yet another journey with the Indian adaptation of #TheIntern with @deepikapadukone ! Produced by @SunirKheterpal and #DeepikaPadukone for @iAmAzure & @_KaProductions in collaboration with @warnerbrosindia @DenzD pic.twitter.com/wuPq8caN4H

— Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) January 27, 2020

As an era of Indian cinema ends with Rishi Kapoor's passing, all we can do is to seek solace in the legacy he has left behind. May his soul rest in peace!v

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While we mourn the going of one of India’s finest actors and the fact that we will never see him again, there is a smudge of sunshine in this year of darkness. Irrfan Khan has one film, and international project if you please, waiting for release. It is a film called Mantra – Song of Scorpions. It’s about a young woman-singer deep in the desert of Rajasthan, who sings and heals people. Due to certain circumstances, when she realizes that her life has been poisoned by the man in her life, she then has to go on a kind of mystical journey to find a song that will heal her.

One more Irrfan Khan starrer still to release

The renowned Iranian actress, Golshifteh Farahani seen in the new Chris Hemsworth starrer Extraction, is cast in the protagonist’s role. Waheeda Rehman appears in a brief but important role. Anup Singh’s debut film Qissa in 2015 also featured Irrfan Khan and was hugely acclaimed.

This is what Anup had to say about Irrfan as an actor: “I believe as an actor he comes to a role in the same way that a refugee comes to a new country. Just like a refugee, Irrfan seeks to understand the complexities of the new circumstances and his relationship with it and his own growth within the new space. That is what makes him the immensely innovative actor that he is. For instance, let me tell you about how he learned for himself to speak the Punjabi dialogue of Qissa and developed his approach to the character of Umber Singh. At one point, Irrfan stopped learning the lines by rote. He began to hum for himself the feeling of the scene. He would hum a phrase and then another, seeking the inner, hidden emotion of the character at that moment. And, then, slowly, he would allow the words to emerge within the music of the moment he had created for himself. His quest remained to find the lilt and the rhythm of the language and then the words would rise spontaneously, and authentic within the scene.”

Also Read: 5 Unknown facts about Irrfan Khan

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Irrfan Khan never got a chance to write his memoirs. If he had done so it would have been fascinating. Irrfan very literally, never lied. This is not the same as those truth-swearing braggarts who keep saying they never lie to convince themselves more than anyone else. Irrfan was brutally honest. And this quality showed up in his work. It also reflected in his life, and his workplace attitude. Here are some incidents from his life that showed up his honesty.

5 Unknown facts about Irrfan Khan

1. Maiden project: Irrfan made one of his maiden appearances in Govind Nihalani’s most unusual marital drama Drishti where Irrfan played Dimple Kapadia’s husband Shekhar Kapur’s nephew who has an affair with her. Irrfan had to do a long intimate lovemaking sequence with Dimple, and he was petrified that he would touch in the wrong places. Dimple put him at ease. Women were always a guiding force in Irrfan’s life.

2. Always A Warrior: Indie director Asif Kapadia, better known for his documentaries on Amy Winehouse and Maradona, directed Irrfan in his first international breakthrough film way back in 2001. The film Warriorgot disqualified from the Oscars’ shortlist for the Best Foreign Film from Britain because the language was Hindi. Irrfan couldn’t stop laughing. He could see the humour in cultural segregation.

3. Westward Chalo: Making it big in the West was never a burning ambition for Irrfan, though he did feel bad about how Indian cinema got left behind from international award every year. He once told me, “We're yet to make inroads into the West and the way Chinese cinema is made. I mean, long before Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Bruce Lee had made an impact on the Western audience with his Enter The Dragon. Indian cinema is yet to make that kind of impact. But we're getting there.”

4. Irrfan’s Favourite Director: Hands Down it was Mira Nair. She not only introduced him to the screen in Salaam Bombay,she then made him an international star in The Namesake. Very few know he played the lead opposite the very attractive and successful Natalie Portman in a Gujju-Jew short film Kosher Vegetarian directed by Mira Nair. Irrfan and Natalie remained friends even after the shooting was over.

5. Irrfan, no Khan: Irrfan dropped his surname after being subjected to Islamaphobic surveillance in the US. He told me, “It happened to me on two occasions. I was detained in New York and Los Angeles airport for secondary interrogation. I was outraged. I was told to quietly come into a room for questioning and identification verification. I wasn’t allowed to talk. When I tried to ask why I was being treated this way, I was told to keep quiet. I wasn’t allowed to use my phone. They said, ‘No, you just sit down.’ All because my name was Irrfan Khan. You can’t argue or rationalize.” Surname or no name, Irrfan remained the most talented Khan in Bollywood.

Also Read: Guess who was Irrfan Khan’s favourite co-star?

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