The illustrious filmmaker, Raj Kapoor was blessed with three worthy sons, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor who deemed to keep up his legacy with their respectively successful careers. Interestingly, the three brothers who shared a closely-knitted bond, and also had adorable nicknames for one another, which also became a mark of their identity in the Hindi film industry. So, while Randhir was called ‘Dabboo’, Rishi was called ‘Chintu’, their baby brother, Rajiv was nicknamed ‘Chimpu’.
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In one of the earlier episodes of the celebrity chat show, Koffee With Karan, Randhir Kapoor had graced the infamous couch along with his brother, Rishi Kapoor. Among other fond conversations on various topics, it was once when Randhir had opened up on the back story behind nicknaming Rishi Kapoor as Chintu. Recalling how a poem he learnt in his school gave him the hint of the name, he mentioned:
“In school, I had found a poem that had the following lines, ‘Chote se Chintu miya, Lambi si Pooch, Jaha jaaye Chintu miya, wahaan jaye pooch.’ Since he was the newly born, Chintu became his nickname.”
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While Rishi Kapoor is no longer with us, his legacy of great films lives on and are still a treat for his fans. Well, one must agree that Rishi inherited the good genes of acting hereditarily from his father, Raj Kapoor, who was hailed as the ‘Greatest Showman on Earth’. In one of his earlier presentations at the Pune International Film Festival, Rishi Kapoor had once spoken on the influence of his father on his acting career and revealed the latter’s golden rule for letting all of his sons carve their own identity. Sharing an anecdote during the shooting of his film, Bobby, which was directed by Raj Kapoor, he mentioned:
“He is my guru…When I reached the set to film Main shayar to nahi, there was no choreographer to help me with the shoot. I asked sahab (Raj Kapoor) about it and he said there was no need for one. I got very upset and nervous about it as it was my first time shooting a song. But he was certain about it as he didn’t want me to copy someone else…he wanted me to have my own signature style.”
In his popular autobiography, Khullam Khulla, Rishi Kapoor had candidly confessed how with his growing years, he stopped fearing his father, Raj Kapoor sensing his growing stardom. Mentioning the kind of strange relationship he shared with his father, Rishi recalled how he had accidentally fallen asleep next to his father unknowingly. In his words:
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“I am not entirely sure when I stopped fearing my father. It may have happened with my own rising stardom. My father and I had a strange relationship. One day, I remember, soon after I had become a star in my own right, we inadvertently shared a bedroom. I was quite high and wanted to go to the bathroom. On my way back, in my drunken stupor, I turned right instead of left. Without realising it, I ended up sleeping next to my father. When I woke up I was in the tiger’s den. After all those years of fearing him, I ended up sharing a bed with him!”
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In yet one of his other revelations, Rishi Kapoor further mentioned the reason as to which he never wished to smoke in the presence of his father. Calling it a mark of respect for the person that he was, Rishi elaborated that though they had often shared a few drinks together, he never wished to smoke in front of his father, Raj Kapoor.
In his autobiography, Khullam Khulla, Rishi Kapoor had shared a special anecdote about his younger brother, Rajiv Kapoor. Fondly known as Chimpu, Rajiv, according to Rishi was the most talented one among him and their elder brother, Randhir Kapoor. Moreover, he even mentioned how Rajiv was not able to value his true career potential. For the unversed, it was speculated that Rishi shared a closer bond with Randhir, than Rajiv, and the duo always maintained an uneasy relationship. Rishi, in his book, had written:
"I worry a lot about Chimpu, and feel sad that he has never been able to realise his true potential. He is the most talented of us and has an uncanny ear for music. He plays the piano superbly, without even learning it."
What do you think about the back story which fetched Rishi Kapoor his nickname?
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