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This is an archive article published on November 13, 2024
Rishi Kapoor was ‘haunted’ by Raj Kapoor arriving home in a drunk state: ‘Dreaded the thought of him being drunk, picking a fight with mother’
Rishi Kapoor shared that he was terrified of his father Raj Kapoor as a child, as he would return in a drunk state, and pick fights with his mother.
Raj Kapoor was adamant on casting Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in Bobby. (Photo: Express Archives)
Rishi Kapoor grew up under the shadow of his illustrious father Raj Kapoor. As a child, Rishi’s mother, Krishna, was the primary caregiver because his father was always working. As he grew older, he worked with his father a fair bit in the movies, but their personal relationship remained unpleasant. In his memoir Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, he shared some memories from his childhood where he discussed the time when Raj Kapoor would enter their house late at night in a drunken state, which left him terrified.
Rishi shared that his father “was never around because he was always working.” He recalled that he only met his father late at night, “at whatever late hour he chose to come home.” He also described his father’s return as unpleasant and said that these memories “haunted” him for a long time. “There was a point in time, when I was a young boy, when his arrival was anything but pleasant. Those midnight moments haunted me for a long time, although I steadfastly refused to share my feelings with anyone, until now. My father would not only come home very late, but also very drunk,” he wrote.
Rishi recalled that his father would “rave and rant loudly in his stupor” and he would hide under the covers as soon as he heard his father enter the house. “From the moment my father staggered home, I would hide under my razai, shivering but alert, my eyes wide open, straining to hear what he was saying or doing. It was only when I heard his voice growing faint, as he moved towards his room, that I would relax and breathe easy,” he shared.
Rishi remembered that he would be on edge anticipating what condition his father would return home in, and would also be scared if he would pick a fight with his mother. “Every day I would wonder what mood or condition he would turn up in at night, dreading the thought of him being drunk and picking a fight with my mother. For a very long time I remained terrified of my father, and I am convinced that this fear sprang from those early drunken scenes. Although I was just a little boy then, I made a promise to myself that, when I grew up, I would never drink and frighten my kids like that,” he said.
Rishi Kapoor started working with his father in the movies a few years after this. He first appeared in a supporting role in Mera Naam Joker. Later, Raj launched Rishi in Bobby. They also worked together in Prem Rog.
Raj Kapoor passed away in 1988 at age 63. Rishi Kapoor passed away in 2020 at age 67.
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