Had he been alive, Rishi Kapoor would have celebrated his 73rd birthday with two pegs of his favorite whisky brand. Rishi Kapoor and his fondness for alcohol – a match that has given birth to evergreen anecdotes that keep resurfacing on social media. On his 73rd birth anniversary, let's flip through the pages of Rishi Kapoor and his penchant for drinking.
Like the title of his memoir, Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, the film veteran was quite open about his drinking habit. During an interview with Filmfare, he said that he enjoyed alcohol but was also aware of the troubles it brought to his life. "I enjoy my alcohol. But it can turn into a problem at times. I love food. And I don't get my kind of food at home. So I have to cheat outside," he had said.
Nothing probably captures Rishi Kapoor's unhinged spirit better than the time he made Neetu Kapoor call his ex-girlfriend after they parted ways. In his autobiography, Rishi Kapoor described the event in vivid detail.
Rishi Kapoor was in love with a woman named Yasmin. But things went sour when Rishi became a star. The “changed” Rishi couldn't retain his love, and eventually, they broke up. Soon after the breakup, he had to go for an outdoor shoot for Zehreela Insaan with Neetu Kapoor.
In the book, he admitted that he was upset about the breakup and made Neetu Kapoor call Yasmin to persuade her.
"Immediately after our break-up, I had gone for an outdoor shoot for Zehreela Insaan, to Chitradurga in Karnataka, where I used to get drunk and make my co-star Neetu Singh (whom I later married) telephone Yasmin and try to cajole her into talking to me," he wrote in his memoir.
"I met Yasmin on a few occasions after that, but by then I had come to terms with our breakup and handled myself with a lot more dignity. She later married a very dear friend of mine. Neetu was always very cordial with her, and her untimely death a few years ago saddened me greatly," Rishi Kapoor wrote.
According to reports, Rishi Kapoor enjoyed his alcohol and had a particular fondness for Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, which he often preferred to bring from London.
Rishi Kapoor's love for alcohol needed no further verification when he deceived his doctor by convincing him to allow drinks at night after his cancer diagnosis. Later, Ranbir Kapoor shared the story publicly.
Rishi Kapoor had a habit of having two drinks every night before sleep. After he was diagnosed with leukemia, his doctor restricted his drinking. But how could you keep the OG Kapoor away from his drinks?
Rishi Kapoor deceived his doctor by claiming he couldn't sleep at night and that he would have two drinks instead of medicine to get a good sleep. He later persuaded his wife, Neetu Singh, that his doctor had ordered him to have three drinks every night.
Rishi Kapoor, a prolific actor, proved his mettle in almost every genre across decades. Known for films like Bobby, Zehreela Insaan, Kabhi Kabhie, Amar Akbar Anthony, and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, Ranbir Kapoor described his father as someone who always "enjoyed his alcohol, food, and family."