Indian actor Rishi Kapoor, best known for playing romantic leading roles in Bollywood movies died on Thursday after a two-year battle with leukemia, his family said. He was 67.
“Our dear Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully at 8:45 am IST in hospital today after a two-year battle with leukaemia. The doctors and medical staff at the hospital said he kept them entertained to the last. He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents. Family, friends, food and films remained his focus and everyone who met him during this time was amazed at how he did not let his illness get the better of him.”
His death comes just one day after another Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, known for his roles in Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, died at 53.
Kapoor had been diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and moved to New York for treatment soon after the cancer was detected, returning to his hometown of Mumbai last September.
Kapoor came from a family of actors – his father, grandfather, brothers and uncles were all actors. He became best known for his romantic roles, playing the romantic lead in 92 films between 1973 and 2000. Since the 2000s, he has played character roles and for his performance in Do Dooni Chaar (2010), he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor, and for his role in Kapoor & Sons (2016), he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. His final film appearance was in The Body (2019).
He is survived by his wife, the actress Neetu Singh, his son, the actor Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Riddhima.