Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor dies, Bollywood celebrities mourn

Kapoor's death came as a shock for the nation which is still grieving the sudden demise of actor Irrfan Khan, just a day ago.

He is survived by his wife Neetu Singh, actor son Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Riddhima Kapoor.

From charming the young India in 1970s with his boyish look in Bobby to playing a tough cop in his last movie The Body, Rishi has been a power house of Bollywood industry for years.

Apart from his acting, Rishi will also be remembered by generations as a man who could make India tap their feet with his unique dance steps and onscreen romance with real life wife and actress Neetu.

Decades later, Bollywood's favourite 'Chintu' matured as an actor and Rishi movied away from playing the dancing hero of Chandni to experimenting with various shades of roles in movies like Mulk and Agneepath.

He dared to break away from his loving chocolate boy and even fatherly image to play a viscious villain in Agneepath which featured Hrithik Roshan in the lead role.

In all of them, Rishi Kapoor lived and left a touch of his genre of acting.

Alerting the nation that another sad news may be on the cards, he was admitted in Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital on Wednesday.

One of the successful actors of the Kapoor clan who had made his debut with Bobby in 1973 as a Bollywood hero a few years after playing a child artist in his father Raj Kapoor's film Mera Naam Joker, Rishi Kapoor was under treatment for cancer in USA.

He had returned to India last September after almost a year under treatment abroad.

Bollywood director Rahul Rawail in April last year had tweeted that Rishi Kapoor is 'cancer free'.

Rishi was a regular user of the social media platforms and in his last tweet he had appealed the nation to respect doctors and medical professionals working to contain COVID-19.

"An appeal Folded hands to all brothers and sisters from all social status and faiths. Please don’t resort to violence,stone throwing or lynching. Doctors,Nurses,Medics, Policemen etc..are endangering their lives to save you. We have to win this Coronavirus war together. Please. Jai Hind!" he had said.

 Bollywood celebrities reacted to the death of the acting genius by posting their thoughts about him on the social media.

Actor Aamir Khan mourned the death of Kapoor and said the country lost of the 'great' today.

"We have lost one of the greats today. An amazing actor, a wonderful human being, and 100% a child of Cinema.Thank you for all the joy you brought to our lives. Thank you for being the actor and human being that you were. You will be badly missed Rishiji," Khan posted.

Actress Priyanka Chopra said her heart felt so 'heavy' after hearing the death of the actor.

"My heart is so heavy. This is the end of an era. #Rishisir your candid heart and immeasurable talent will never be encountered again. Such a privilege to have known you even a little bit. My condolences to Neetu maam, Ridhima, Ranbir and the rest of the family. Rest in peace Sir," Priyanka tweeted as she posted an old image of his visit to meet Rishi Kapoor and his wife Neetu.

Actor John Abraham said: "Rest In Peace Sir ... #RishiKapoor."

Remembering his boyish smile, actress Shilpa Shetty posted, "Waking up to a news like this is gut-wrenching! A Legendary actor, loved by millions of people around the world has just left us. Your style, brilliance, your smile & joie de vivre... will be dearly missed, Rishi jiYour legacy will live on for generations to come. #RishiKapoor."

Describing the current time as a nightmare, actor Akshay Kumar posted: " It seems like we’re in the midst of a nightmare...just heard the depressing news of #RishiKapoor ji passing away, it’s heartbreaking. He was a legend, a great co-star and a good friend of the family. My thoughts and prayers with his family."

Singer Lata Mangeshkar posted: "Kya kahun? Kya likhu kuch samajh mein nahi aaraha hai.Rishi ji ke nidhan se mujhe bahut dukh ho raha hai.Unke jaane se film industry ki bahut haani hui hai. Ye dukh sehena mere liye bahut mushkil hai.Bhagwan unki aatma ko shanti pradan karein."