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Lone Ranger

A tête-à-tête with the charismatic Rishi Kapoor on an unfriendly industry, his more famous son, and sending the Twitterverse into a tizzy

"I just want to chuck it ?all up," Rishi Kapoor exploded recently, right before my eyes, after a hard day's and night's slog at the studio. "Next month, I'll take off for a world tour, alone, absolutely alone, without any hangers-on."
"Don't you have friends, whom you could travel with?" I asked, startled by the demonstration of rage by the usually convivial actor who, in his early sixties, continues to be in major dem-and in the Bollywood market.
And then he articulated the feeling that assails most showbiz celebrities, "After all these years, I don't have a single friend. It's purely a need-based industry out here."
But the next morning, after that fleeting bout of angst, he was back at work, high spirited and performing expertly before the camera. Rishi (aka Chintu), who's experienced all the pressures of stardom for over four decades - ever since he debuted as a child actor in Mera Naam Joker, isn't a typical case of an artist who feels alone in the madding crowd. He's a Herculean survivor, avoids alignment to any 'camp' or production company, and is capable of tackling his métier with a robust sense of humour and self-deprecation.
That he hasn't been bestowed with the honorific of the Padmashree by the government till date hasn't fazed him. "My grandfather (Prithviraj Kapoor) and dad (Raj Kapoor) were honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Awards," ?he adds. "But I've never even been ?adjudged the Best Actor at the National Awards. That doesn't matter, because I'm beyond hard-selling myself at any of the award ceremonies. Just live and let live."
Currently working in a bunch of films, which showcase him in the roles of ?either the benevolent patriarch or a "baddy", as he calls it, the actor - rem-arkable for his spontaneity and charismatic screen presence - is also being barraged with offers to host his own TV show. "Right," he smiles. "I'm considering some concepts which I think I can do justice to. And why not? Television has a wide range and reach. The small screen is becoming bigger and brighter. All the actors are doing it. So why should I be snooty about the medium?"

Rishi has also become tech-savvy, his one-liners on Twitter amassing a huge following, increasing his global fan base. His tweets frequently go viral, especially the one in which he congratulated the Pakistan cricket team's ret-urn to the crease. "I was overwhelmed by the response," he says. "And, believe it or not, the tweet was even quoted in The Washington Post."
Of late, he had stated somewhat ?ruefully, "I am the son of a famous ?father and the father of a famous son." The allusion to Ranbir Kapoor was a rare one, since he has chosen to keep out of his son's professional and private lives. How come? To that, he ripostes, "My dad allowed me to do my own thing. So why should I be any different? Ranbir's an adult. I'm the last person to treat him like a kid." Wasn't he rattled by the ?disastrous response to the latest film noir Ranbir-starrer, Bombay Velvet? "Rattled?" he responds. "No. In fact, I'm sure Ranbir will learn from his setbacks. Every actor, without exception, cannot tote a successful track record. Disappointments only make an actor stronger." As for any discussion on Katrina Kaif, whom Ranbir is living in with, he looks away without darting the mandatory, "No comments." No clichés for Chintu, please.
Residing in a tastefully appointed bungalow in the swishy neighbourhood of Pali Hill, Rishi has agreed to get it redeveloped. When construction begins, Rishi and his wife Neetu will move to a nearby bungalow, possibly for two years or more. "Ah, that was a tough call to make," he says, "but one has to live with the times. It's the age of high-rises; old bungalows are extremely difficult to maintain, especially during the monsoon season." Next, I ask him how the grand old RK studio is doing? At one point, rumours abounded that the sprawling property was up for sale. "No way," he responds. "The studio - its shooting floors and the offices - have been renovated. And it's busy around the clock." Life's at an even keel, then. So why does he believe he has no friends? "I don't," he insists, wrapping up our conversation. "No one can rewrite the rules, buddy!"