Throwback to the time when Rishi Kapoor's closeness to his 'Bobby' co-star, Dimple Kapadia, made his wife, Neetu Kapoor, anxious.
Son of Raj Kapoor and Krishna Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor made his Bollywood debut in the film, Mera Naam Joker, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. Later on, he went on to become the quintessential chocolate boy of Bollywood with the teen romantic film, Bobby. He had charmed everyone with his smile and became the 'dream man' of every girl.
It was believed that Rishi’s stardom was such that girls used to write love letters to him with their blood. Rishi Kapoor broke many hearts when he married popular actress Neetu Kapoor. The duo dated for a while and tied the knot on January 22, 1980. The couple has two children, Riddhima Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor.
After the release of Bobby, Rishi and Dimple were a hit jodi, and there were many rumours pertaining to their affair. In his memoir, Khullam Khulla, Rishi penned how his wife, Neetu Kapoor, felt threatened when he and Dimple were cast together in Saagar. In his words:
“Many years into our marriage, Neetu confided in me that the only time she had felt threatened was when I worked with Dimple in Saagar.”
Not just this, in his memoir, Rishi also gave a subtle hint about the rumours pertaining to his affair with Dimple and wrote:
“But she needn’t have worried. Dimple was a friend, even if she may have been a little more than that during Bobby. Ten years had gone by; she was coming out of a marriage with two children of her own and I was also well settled with two kids."
Rishi Kapoor’s name was linked to many of his co-stars, and leading them was Dimple Kapadia. Their on-screen chemistry in Bobby gave rise to many rumours of their off-screen love. Though Dimple was married to veteran actor, Rajesh Khanna, Rishi was reportedly dating his then-girlfriend, Yasmin Mehta. However, because of the nonstop rumours about Rishi and Dimple, his girlfriend, Yasmin broke up with him.
Rishi Kapoor’s name was linked with many actresses. From Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Divya Bharti to Tina Munim, Rishi was romantically linked with many of his co-stars. Sometime back, an old interview cutting of Neetu Kapoor surfaced, where she justified her husband’s affairs and called them ‘passing fancies’. In the interview, the beautiful actress revealed that she had caught her husband flirting hundreds of times. Sharing details about the same, Neetu said:
“I have caught him flirting hundreds of times. I always seem to be the first to hear about his affairs on outdoor locations. But I know they are just one-night stands. Two years ago, I used to fight with him about it but now I have adopted the attitude-go ahead, let’s see how long will you do it.”
In 2018, Rishi Kapoor was diagnosed with leukaemia and went to New York for treatment. In 2019, the actor returned to India after his treatment. On April 29, 2020, the actor was hospitalized after he complained about difficulty breathing. On April 30, 2020, the 68-year-old actor bid adieu and left for his heavenly abode, leaving a huge vacuum in the lives of friends, fans and family.
Despite his numerous affairs, Rishi and Neetu spent 40 years of marital bliss, and she stood by him through all the highs and lows.
Also Read: Rishi Kapoor Once Revealed He Would Ask Neetu Kapoor To Call His Ex-Gf, Yasmin After Getting Drunk