New Delhi . The birth anniversary of late actor Rishi Kapoor is celebrated on 4 September. Born on 4 September 1952 in Chembur, Mumbai, Rishi Kapoor maintained his distinct identity in Hindi cinema for many decades. Initially he became popular as a romantic and chocolate hero, but with time he expanded his acting scope and played many challenging and different roles.
Rishi Kapoor faced the camera at a very young age. He played his father Raj Kapoor's childhood character in the 1970 film Mera Naam Joker. After this, he started his film career as a lead actor in 1973 with Bobby. His character in the film was that of Rajnath i.e. Raja, a young and innocent lover. His pairing with Dimple Kapadia was liked by the audience and the film proved to be a huge success.
The success of Bobby made Rishi Kapoor one of the leading young stars of Hindi cinema. After this he played the role of Majnu in Laila Majnu. This character related to love and emotions further strengthened his romantic image. After this, in 1977, he showed a different style in the role of Akbar Allahabadi in Amar Akbar Anthony. His pairing with Neetu Singh in the film was also very much liked.
Prem Rog, released in 1982, was one of the important films of Rishi Kapoor's career. In this he played the role of Devdhar. His acting remained in discussion amidst the story and social theme of the film. This role showed that he was not an actor limited to romantic films only.
After mainly playing the roles of young heroes for a long time, Rishi Kapoor changed his characters with age. In the 2009 film Love Aaj Kal, he played the role of an elderly Sikh named Veer Singh. In this character, the mature side of his personality came to the fore and the new generation audience also appreciated his acting.
In 2012's Agneepath, Rishi Kapoor revealed a completely different side of his career by playing the character of Rauf Lala. His style in a negative role was a very different experience for the audience. The following year, in D-Day, he played the role of Iqbal i.e. Goldman, who was presented as a character associated with a mafia don.
Rishi Kapoor played 90-year-old Amarjeet in 2016's Kapoor & Sons. Both his looks and acting were discussed for the role of an older man. In 2018, he played the role of Babulal Dattatreya Vakharia in 102 Not Out, while Amitabh Bachchan played the role of his 102-year-old father.
In the same year, Rishi Kapoor played the role of a lawyer named Murad Ali Mohammed in Mulk. His character was an important part of the story amid the social and family situations in the film. These films made it clear that Rishi Kapoor accepted challenging roles even in the last phase of his career.
Rishi Kapoor died on 30 April 2020. However, his films and memorable characters are still present among the audience. His journey from romantic hero to negative and aging roles is considered an example of the diversity of acting in Hindi cinema.