Late actor Rishi Kapoor once shared a candid and self-deprecating anecdote about his inability to return a compliment to co-star Sridevi during an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show. The story, which surfaced during a lighthearted exchange with host Kapil Sharma, offers a rare glimpse into the off-camera dynamic between two of Bollywood's most celebrated stars.

The Awkward Silence on Set

Kapoor recalled a specific incident during a film shoot when the camera's magazine ran out of film, bringing the set to a brief standstill. With lights blazing and an uncomfortable silence hanging over the crew, Sridevi turned to him and said, 'Sir, I saw Khel Khel Mein four times. I liked it a lot, sir.'

Kapoor graciously accepted the compliment — but found himself at a loss when it came to reciprocating. 'Which film of hers did I see? I was thinking,' he confessed on the show. Before the awkwardness could deepen, a crew member's voice cut through: 'The shot is ready.'

A Long and Storied Collaboration

The anecdote is all the more poignant given how extensively the two worked together. Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi shared the screen in at least five films: Nagina (1986), Chandni (1989), Banjaran (1991), Gurudev (1993), and Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhoota (1997). The pairing was a reliable draw through the late 1980s and 1990s, with Chandni in particular becoming a cultural touchstone of that era.

Host Kapil Sharma had set up the exchange by asking Kapoor whether Sridevi — who hails from South India — spoke Hindi fluently when they first met, or whether he had to pick up Tamil. Kapoor's response pivoted instead to this memorable on-set moment.

Two Icons No Longer With Us

Sridevi passed away on 24 February 2018 in Dubai at the age of 54, following an accidental drowning. Her death sent shockwaves through the Indian film industry and beyond.

Rishi Kapoor died on 30 April 2020 after a two-year battle with leukemia. He was 67 at the time of his passing. The loss of both stars within two years of each other marked the end of a generation that had defined mainstream Hindi cinema for three decades.

Why This Story Still Resonates

Anecdotes like these endure because they humanise legends. Kapoor was known for his candour in interviews, often sharing stories that other stars would have kept private. This particular moment — a superstar stumped for words in front of a peer he had worked with for over a decade — captures the unscripted reality behind the glamour. Notably, Sridevi was herself famously private and rarely discussed her personal interactions with co-stars in public, making Kapoor's account one of the few windows into their off-screen rapport.