Rishi Kapoor debuted in his father's 1970 film, Mera Naam Joker, where he played an adolescent. He had his first lead role opposite Dimple Kapadia in the1973 release Bobby, which was a huge hit. Not many know that the film was not made to launch him as an actor which Kapoor had revealed few years back. In an interview he once said, ‘There was a misconception that the film was made to launch me as an actor. The film was actually made to pay the debts of Mera Naam Joker. Dad wanted to make a love story and he did not have money to cast Rajesh Khanna in the film’. Since then, between 1973 and 1998, Kapoor played leading roles as the romantic hero in about 125 films, of which about 40 were multi-hero projects. And for the very first time the candid and frank actor reveals about the major drawbacks he faced while playing a romantic hero.
'I was at a big disadvantage, it was difficult for me to survive!'
I had many highs and lows. I started off with a bang with Bobby but then I reached a sort of plateau. My films didn’t do well but I immediately buckled myself and got into a situation where I worked really very hard. After after couple of fairly successful films like Rafoo Chakkar and Khel Khel Mein, I saw a huge success in Laila Majnu which had Ranjeeta opposite me. With this film I proved that I was not just flash in a pan, I had come to stay. Then I worked with several good directors did some good films of which quite a few were commercially successful.
I have no resentment when I look back at my career of 25 years with over 120 films as a lead actor. It's quite an achievement. Mind you, it was not a cakewalk for me as I was standing against the likes of all the action heroes. I came into the industry in the action period and not in the romantic period. I was the only romantic hero at my time who was pitted against all the action heroes. It was very difficult for me to survive. But I survived. I worked very hard for it. Whenever I hit a low patch I worked even harder trying to make the best of what was available.
Those days, there was a kind of ritual of having three heroes in a film where I played a romantic hero, and whenever I did these kind of films, it was like running a relay race where the other two heroes had an advantage of being 50 metres ahead of me because the script was such and action was the call point. I was at a disadvantage of those 50 metres because romantic heroes did not have much to do in those films. But then, too, whatever I could do for my part I contributed. I was helpless. The call was only action, everybody was doing only action. There was no point of me trying my hands at it because I had the image of a romantic star. I had the disadvantage from script and director point of view. The other two heroes were given the main portions of the film, the juicy part.
I never got equal roles. I wish I was pitted against equal roles and then I would call it a fair competition. It was a very big disadvantage to not have the main lead. I did express this to my directors, but then I knew the call of the day was action films and not romantic. So whenever I did multi-starrers, I was at a disadvantage but I did quite a few of those. In multi star cast films the action hero was always at an advantage because of his image, the script, and they got the better chunk of the film, it was not that they were better actors. I have seen those days but I have no resentment, I don’t hold it back as that was the call of the day.
'Competition is more stiff today'
Those days I was close to everybody, we were like one family. I was friends with Jeetendra, Rakesh Roshan, Prem Chopra...I had great respect for Amitji, Dharamji, Shatruji,Vinod Khanna. We all knew that Amitabh Bachchan was the top hero but there was never any rivalry. We were good friends. Where was the question of rivalry? Rivalry happens when you don’t accept the fact that Amitabh was number one. Undoubtedly, he was very popular and a very good actor as well. We were friends on sets, off sets. We had great camaraderie. We partied a lot, we travelled abroad, there was no animosity between us. We used to meet at each others house for Diwali, Holi and for many other festive occasions. But I don’t see that happening now. I don’t know why, I have no idea? Now I find there is lot of competition not because of the actors but essentially because of the fan base which is really huge.
Today, actors are not doing so many films, leading heroes these days sign just one or two films. Money comes from other sources like advertising which is really big. In our times money was not big and we used to work in four, five, six, eight films at a time, some would even have10 to 15 films in hand. Today one or two films is good enough mainly because actors don’t want to take the risk of their star status. They are very conscious of the product. In our days audiences was very forgiving and innocent. Any actor at one point of time at least had two to three films based on lost and found formula. Today’s audience is very learned and sharp, they are mature and kids are well informed, they won’t settle for anything nonsense. Even the actors today are very conscious of the product, of their bodies, they are hardworking.
'I have worked with most of the top stars in my second innings!'
I have had a great working relationship with all my leading ladies because I was very easy to work with. Believe it or not but in my career I have introduced 22-23 heroines...I have actually lost count. Then, there were quite a few from the South who were launched in Bollywood with me as their hero. In fact, I have worked with most of the top actors and actresses in the current times as well while I am playing the character actor in my second innings. While Shah Rukh Khan started his career with me in Deewana, I have worked with Salman, Akshay, Saif, Katrina, Deepika, Sonam, Parineeti...I have done a film with Ranbir, too.
Rishi’s only resentment
I have had at least one successful film with every heroine, but the only resentment I have is that I couldn’t make a successful film with Madhuri Dixit. I worked with her in three films but all of those bombed at the box office. That is one sore point in my career. But see how life has come full circle. Ranbir worked with Madhuri in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in just one song and that film is the biggest hit of his career! That is the irony of life. If I couldn’t accomplish what I should have my son did it so to speak.
Weighty issues and the Khans had arrived
I remember I had put on lot of weight. I was just wearing pull-overs, going to Kashmir and Switzerland singing and dancing with my heroines in most of my films. Yes, I was making big money but finally I started getting tired and bored. Nothing challenging was coming my way and that is when my wife Neetu suggested that I hang up my boots and give myself a break. Also, I was anxious to direct a film. That is when I voluntarily decided to stop acting for a while and returned my signing amount to the producers.
The Khan boys had arrived and they were doing well. They hit stardom sometime in mid 90s and I realised that my time was up. I had already done about 125 films by then and I got into direction with Aa Ab Laut Chalen with Akshaye Khanna and Aishwarya Rai in the lead. In between, Ajay Devgn offered me a character role in Raju Chacha which was followed by Rahul Rawail’s Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi.People do tell me to direct but I don’t have the time and mentality to do so as my.passion is acting. I am really enjoying this current phase of doing variety of roles with good actors and directors. I have no reason to look back in disdain.
Non-stop innings of 25 years!
I had non-stop innings of 25 years which was not possible in those times, it was very difficult to survive. From 1973 to 1998, I worked as a leading romantic actor! I don’t think at that point of time any actor could achieve this feat, not even Dev Anandji. You had to be either an action hero...but even action heroes have not survived for that long. Today, however, it’s become easier because boys are looking after their bodies, they have huge fan following, there is an overseas market to take care, they take control and charge of their image and they are paid very well.