The Kapoors are considered as the first family of Indian cinema, and it all started with the late legendary actor, Prithviraj Kapoor, who established the Prithvi Theaters in Bombay (now Mumbai). The second generation of the Kapoor family, including Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Shashi Kapoor, made a significant name in the film industry and contributed heavily to Indian cinema. The eldest son of Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, even got the title of 'The Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema'.
The iconic actor and producer, Raj Kapoor got married to Krishna Raj Kapoor, and together they welcomed five children, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, Ritu Nanda and Reema Jain. While all three boys went into the film industry, Ritu worked in the insurance sector, and not much is known about Reema's professional background. There's no denying the fact that Rishi Kapoor had an illustrious career in the film industry, but Rajiv and Randhir couldn't match his level.
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There's no denying the fact that Rishi Kapoor is right up there with his father, Raj Kapoor and uncle, Shammi Kapoor, in terms of the impact he had in Indian cinema as an actor. However, it's also fair to say that Randhir Kapoor had the potential to be as successful as his younger brother, Rishi, but unfortunately, that never happened.
Randhir Kapoor worked in a series of hit films like Haath Ki Safai (1974), Chacha Bhatija (1977), Rampur Ka Lakshman(1972), Jawani Diwani (1972), Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971), Hamrahi (1974), Ram Bharose (1977), Mama Bhanja (1977), Biwi-o-Biwi (1981), and the list goes on.
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Despite being a part of so many successful films, one thing that Randhir lacked was the fact that he never prioritised versatility. He had a lot of success with his romantic roles but never tried to showcase another any other shade of his acting. In the beginning, people liked him, but there came a saturation point when people weren't getting excited about the prospect of seeing him on the big screen and playing that same foodie guy with a snappy sense of humour.
After the terrible performances of his films like Rickshawala, Dharam Karam, Sawaal, Pukar and Khazana at the box office, Randhir Kapoor took a decade-long break from acting. He soon started working as a director and producer in the film industry. According to renowned Patna-based journalist, Subhash K Jha, Randhir never tried to challenge himself by picking different types of roles and stuck to the image of a happy-go-lucky guy.
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However, there was one more thing that contributed heavily to Randhir Kapoor's downfall as an actor, and it was his drinking habit. According to a report in News 18, after witnessing a lot of success at the early stage of his career, Randhir got a bit carried away. Instead of working tirelessly to keep his family's legacy a notch higher, Randhir started drinking a lot, which affected his physique and mental health. Once, in an interview with the Hindustan Times, Randhir admitted that he was a terrible man and used to drink a lot. He said:
"She found that I was a terrible man who drank a lot and came home late, which was something she didn't like. And I didn't want to live the way she wanted, and she couldn't accept me as I am, though it was a love marriage. So it's okay."
According to a report in Jansatta, during his visit to Kapil Sharma's show, The Kapil Sharma Show, Randhir Kapoor recalled an interesting incident when a beggar made fun of his car. The veteran actor revealed that while in movies, he used to drive many expensive cars, but in real life, he had an average car. After a beggar made fun of his car, he got furious and wanted to purchase a luxury car.
Randhir Kapoor further revealed that he had no money at that time, but he was so furious that he arranged money from his wife, Babita and even took advance from a producer to buy a car. Although the revelation left everyone in splits, Randhir was questioned by several netizens on the internet, who termed his action as 'not-so-mature'.
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As per a report in MensXP, once in an old interview, Randhir Kapoor explained how today's actors have multiple sources of income, but back in his time, he used to earn just by doing films. Sharing how tough it was to manage all the expenses only with the money that he used to earn from doing films. Randhir admitted that he used to struggle a lot to pay several expenses like his daughters' tuition fees, electricity bills, his wife's expenses, his scotch, and others. Talking about the same, he said:
"Today's stars have become very choosy. They just do one film a year. That is because they also earn from endorsements, events and other avenues. We worked really hard to earn money. The tuition fees of my children, my electricity bills, Babita ke kharche (Babita's expenses), my Scotch, was all paid from the money that I earned from acting in films."
For the unversed, Randhir Kapoor got married to Babita Hari Shivdasani on November 6, 1971, after dating each other for a few years. The couple welcomed two daughters, Karisma Kapoor in 1974 and Kareena Kapoor in 1980. Due to a series of differences and Randhir's drinking habits, Babita left him in 1988 and took away their daughters with her. After living apart for over three decades, Babita moved into Randhir's house in 2023. The couple is currently going through one of the most sought-after phases of their lives, and all that has happened is in the past for good.
What are your thoughts on Randhir Kapoor's downfall? Do you think he has no one to blame but himself for everything that had happened to him? Let us know.
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