Jackie Shroff pays tribute to Rishi Kapoor on his 74th birth anniversary
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff took to social media on 4 September to honour the memory of late actor Rishi Kapoor on what would have been his 74th birth anniversary. Shroff shared a heartfelt collage celebrating the iconic star's enduring legacy, drawing widespread attention from fans and the film fraternity alike.
The Tribute Post
The collage shared by Jackie Shroff featured two visuals — a classic still of Rishi Kapoor from his celebrated 1980 film Karz, and a candid photograph of the two actors together. Shroff captioned the post: 'Remembering Rishi ji on his birth anniversary! Always in our hearts,' accompanied by a folded-hands emoji.
Adding a musical touch, Shroff set the collage to Mohammed Rafi's evergreen track 'Dard-E-Dil Dard-E-Jigar' — composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal with lyrics by Anand Bakshi — one of the most enduring melodies from Karz and closely associated with Rishi Kapoor's screen persona.
An Unlikely Parallel: Films Together, Rarely on Screen Together
Notably, despite sharing credits on multiple productions, Jackie Shroff and Rishi Kapoor rarely shared scenes directly. The two appeared in the same films — Azaad Desh Ke Gulam (1990), Aurangzeb (2013), and Chalk n Duster (2016) — yet the opportunity to properly share the frame together reportedly never materialised. The tribute, then, carries a particular poignancy: a friendship and mutual regard that transcended their limited on-screen crossover.
Rishi Kapoor: A Legacy That Defined Eras
Rishi Kapoor, born on 4 September 1952, was the son of legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor and Krishna Kapoor, placing him at the heart of one of Hindi cinema's most influential dynasties. He made his first screen appearance as a child actor in his father's Mera Naam Joker (1970), playing the younger version of Raj Kapoor's character.
His full-fledged debut as a leading hero came with Bobby in 1973, opposite Dimple Kapadia — a film that became a cultural landmark. Over five decades, he delivered memorable performances in films including Khel Khel Mein, Amar Akbar Anthony, Kabhi Kabhie, Karz, Prem Rog, Chandni, Agneepath, Kapoor & Sons, and Mulk, among many others — spanning romantic hero, character actor, and antagonist with equal conviction.
Personal Life and Family
On the personal front, Rishi Kapoor was married to actress Neetu Kapoor, whom he met on film sets. The couple wed on 22 January 1980 and became one of Hindi cinema's most celebrated on-screen and off-screen pairs, appearing together in films such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Kabhi Kabhie, and Besharam. They are parents to daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and son Ranbir Kapoor, who has established himself as one of Bollywood's leading actors of his generation.
Rishi Kapoor passed away on 30 April 2020, aged 67, following a prolonged battle with leukaemia. Four years on, tributes from colleagues and fans on each anniversary reflect how deeply his work remains woven into the fabric of Indian popular culture.