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Rishi, aaj kal
Updated On: 31 August, 2009 12:32 PM IST | | Dinesh Raheja
Rishi Kapoor turns 57 next month. A look at the actor the perennial heart throb, a straight talker and a man whose image is incomplete without a guitar... err...in this case, perhaps a violin!
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Rishi Kapoor turns 57 next month. A look at the actor the perennial heart throb, a straight talker and a man whose image is incomplete without a guitar... err...in this case, perhaps a violin!
Rishi Kapoor will turn 57 on September 4, 2009. And the day will most probably coincide with the release of
his next film the rather flatteringly named Chintuji (its whacky promos are already on air).
In the days when Rishi Kapoor (I could never bring myself to call him Chintu as he was fondly nicknamed by his father) was a major teen heartthrob, certain star-watchers evaluated him with speculative scepticism. Their contention was: 'Since Rishi's appeal is totally young-centric because of his height, vigour and the guitar, which looks like an extension of his arm, what will he do once he crosses the big 4-oh, never mind 50?'
The poser became increasingly relevant because Rishi Kapoor constantly teamed up with a fast-changing array of new girls from Kajol Kiron (Hum Kissise Kum Naheen), Ranjeeta (Laila Majnu), Jaya Prada (Sargam) right up to Sonam (Vijay), Zeba (Henna)u00a0... I stopped counting once the number reached double digits.
Today, at 57, the fogginess regarding Rishi's future after fifty has cleared up. After an uneven transitional decade when his career seesawed, Rishi Kapoor is currently enjoying a remarkable resurgence. He has had four releases so far into 2009. Earlier this year, he dashed off a ripe comic performance as a roly-poly, harangued Bollywood producer in Luck By Chance. While Delhi 6 and Kal Kissne Dekha were not memorable, he gave youngsters a run for their money in the recent hit, Love Aaj Kal. Rishi was the epitome of yesteryears' romance during the action-packed 1970s and 1980s, especially when paired with Neetu Singh; and Love Aaj Kal cleverly played on their images to establish just that by casting Neetu, now Kapoor, in the film, albeit in a blink and miss scene.
Remarkably, both Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh began their careers as child artistes and have 40 years of acting behind them. Rishi Kapoor deservedly won the National Award for his performance in his very first film Mera Naam Joker. Rishi was memorable as Raju, a gawky, overweight school boy who has a crush on his teacher, Mary (Simi Garewal), and is in the first flush of sexual awakening.
Rishi Kapoor will turn 57 on September 4, 2009. And the day will most probably coincide with the release of
his next film the rather flatteringly named Chintuji (its whacky promos are already on air).
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Rishi Kapoor in Karz |
In the days when Rishi Kapoor (I could never bring myself to call him Chintu as he was fondly nicknamed by his father) was a major teen heartthrob, certain star-watchers evaluated him with speculative scepticism. Their contention was: 'Since Rishi's appeal is totally young-centric because of his height, vigour and the guitar, which looks like an extension of his arm, what will he do once he crosses the big 4-oh, never mind 50?'
The poser became increasingly relevant because Rishi Kapoor constantly teamed up with a fast-changing array of new girls from Kajol Kiron (Hum Kissise Kum Naheen), Ranjeeta (Laila Majnu), Jaya Prada (Sargam) right up to Sonam (Vijay), Zeba (Henna)u00a0... I stopped counting once the number reached double digits.
Today, at 57, the fogginess regarding Rishi's future after fifty has cleared up. After an uneven transitional decade when his career seesawed, Rishi Kapoor is currently enjoying a remarkable resurgence. He has had four releases so far into 2009. Earlier this year, he dashed off a ripe comic performance as a roly-poly, harangued Bollywood producer in Luck By Chance. While Delhi 6 and Kal Kissne Dekha were not memorable, he gave youngsters a run for their money in the recent hit, Love Aaj Kal. Rishi was the epitome of yesteryears' romance during the action-packed 1970s and 1980s, especially when paired with Neetu Singh; and Love Aaj Kal cleverly played on their images to establish just that by casting Neetu, now Kapoor, in the film, albeit in a blink and miss scene.
Remarkably, both Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh began their careers as child artistes and have 40 years of acting behind them. Rishi Kapoor deservedly won the National Award for his performance in his very first film Mera Naam Joker. Rishi was memorable as Raju, a gawky, overweight school boy who has a crush on his teacher, Mary (Simi Garewal), and is in the first flush of sexual awakening.
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