Actor Rishi Kapoor’s daughter Riddhima Kapoor bid adieu to her father with a heartwrenching post on social media. The 67-year-old actor, who had been battling cancer, died at a Mumbai hospital on Thursday morning.
Sharing a picture with Rishi Kapoor, she wrote: “Papa, I love you. I will always love you – RIP my strongest warrior. I will miss you every day. I will miss your FaceTime calls every day! I wish I could be there to say goodbye to you ! Until we meet again papa, I love you”
Riddhima, who is a jewellery designer based in Delhi, has been granted permission to drive to Mumbai for her father’s last rites amid the lockdown, NDTV reported. She is married to industrialist Bharat Sahni. In a statement released, Rishi Kapoor’s family urged fans to maintain calm and respect lockdown rules. “Our dear Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully at 8:45am IST in hospital today after a two-year battle with leukemia. 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 notlet his illness get the better of him. He was grateful for the love of his fans that poured in from the world over. In his passing, they would all understand that he would like to be remembered with a smile and not with tears. In this hour of personal loss, we also recognise the world is going through a very difficult and troubled time. There are numerous restrictions around movement and gathering in public. We would like to request all his fans and well-wishers and friends of the family to please respect the laws that are in force. He would not have it any other way,” the statement said.
Amitabh Bachchan was one among the first to confirm the news of death of his dear friend and contemporary Rishi Kapoor. “I am destroyed,” he tweeted.
Tributes are flowing on social media as fans, politicians and members of the film fraternity offer their condolences for one of India’s finest acting legends.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar said it seemed like we are in the midst of a nightmare. He tweeted: “It seems like we’re in the midst of a nightmare…just heard the depressing news of #RishiKapoor ji passing away, it’s heartbreaking. He was a legend, a great co-star and a good friend of the family. My thoughts and prayers with his family.”
Rishi Kapoor returned to India last September after reportedly undergoing treatment for cancer in the US for almost a year. In February, Rishi Kapoor was hospitalised twice due to his health issues.