In an old interview, Rajiv Kapoor had looked back on his professional journey in Bollywood and had reflected on what had gone wrong for him. Scroll down to know it all!
Another shining Kapoor star had departed the film fraternity on February 9, 2021, with late, Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor's youngest brother, Rajiv Kapoor's demise. The youngest son of the legendary Raj Kapoor sahab, Rajiv Kapoor was best known for his performance in the film, Ram Teri Ganga Maili and Ek Jaan Hain Hum. He had also directed the film, Prem Granth, which had starred his late brother, Rishi Kapoor in the lead. But unlike his other fairly successful family members, Rajiv Kapoor never enjoyed any professional success and was often called 'one film wonder', due to his stint in Ram Teri Ganga Maili. (Recommended Read: Priyanka Chopra Reveals That She Had Once Hid Her Boyfriend In Closet, Husband, Nick Jonas Reacts)
According to The Hindustan Times, in an old interview with Leheren, Rajiv Kapoor had looked back on his professional journey in Bollywood and had reflected on what had gone wrong for him. Expressing that he was brainwashed early in his career because of Shammi Kapoor's resemblance, Rajiv Kapoor had also wished to have crafted his own space instead of listening to others. Scroll down to know more!
In the old interview, Rajiv Kapoor had said that people on the streets would first call him Shammi Kapoor, then Rishi Kapoor (his brother), and then Rajiv Kapoor. He had further said that everyone told him to base his performance on his uncle's persona in his first film, 1983's Ek Jaan Hain Hum. In his words, "It's a curious thing, but I look a lot like my uncle. Everyone who worked on the film; including the technicians, the director, the choreographer, the music director; they tried to portray my character like Shammi uncle. Because they'd all worked with him before, they made me behave like him. I was a young lad then, so I went with the flow. They used to brainwash me. As I grew older, and gained more experience, I realised that I should have crafted my own space."
Rajiv Kapoor's elder brother, Rishi Kapoor, who had bid farewell to us on April 30, 2020, had written about Rajiv Kapoor in his autobiography Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored. He had written, "I worry a lot about Chimpu (Rajiv's nickname) and feel sad that he has never been able to realize his true potential. He is the most talented of us and has an uncanny ear for music. He plays the piano superbly without ever learning it." (Also Read: Sushmita Sen Shares A Cryptic Post, Netizens Wonder Whether She Broke Up With BF, Rohman Shawl)
On her uncle, Rajiv Kapoor's untimely demise, Kareena Kapoor Khan had taken to her Instagram handle and had shared a rare picture of Raj Kapoor with his three sons. In the picture, we could see Raj Kapoor flashing his big smile and hugging his youngest son, Rajiv Kapoor, standing right beside Rishi Kapoor and on the other side was Randhir Kapoor. Alongside the picture, Kareena had written, "Broken but strong." Karisma Kapoor had also taken to her IG stories and had shared a picture of her Rajiv uncle. Atop it, she had written, "Chimpoo uncle you will be dearly missed." Rishi Kapoor's daughter, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni had taken to her IG stories and had shared her Rajiv uncle's picture with her father. Alongside it, she had written, "Together, now and forever."
Earlier, in an interview with Cinestaan, Rajiv Kapoor had talked about being famous in the younger generation because of his one film. He had said, "To be honest, if I’m remembered today, even amongst the younger generation, that is purely because of Ram Teri Ganga Maili. It gave me great recognition and platform all over the world. It also comes regularly on television. Today, I go to a mall or a theatre, I meet people who talk about the film. It’s fine for people of my generation to talk about it, but I get touched when their children know about the film. Obviously, their parents have told them about this film. Arguably, it’s the best film that I’ve done. I’m grateful to god and my father for having made that film." (Don't Miss: Bigg Boss 14: Rahul Vaidya's Sister Reacts To His Wedding With Disha Parmar, Says, 'Baarat' Is Ready)
RIP, Rajiv Kapoor!