Rishi Kapoor dies after fight with cancer
April 30, 2020
Indian actor Rishi Kapoor, who starred in Bollywood hits such as "Bobby" and "Mera Naam Joker," died on Thursday from leukemia, his family said.
"He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents," the family said in a statement. They confirmed that the actor was hospitalized in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi said Kapoor was "multifaceted, endearing and lively ... Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family and fans."
The iconic Bollywood actor had been diagnosed with cancer in 2018.
Kapoor returned to India last September after undergoing treatment in the US for almost a year. He was hospitalized twice in February.
Bollywood in mourning
His death follows a day after the passing of another famed Indian actor, Irrfan Khan, who died aged 54 after a prolonged battle with cancer.
Fellow actor Priyanka Chopra tweeted her condolences to Kapoor's family, sayaing her "heart is so heavy."
Dynasty of actors
Kapoor has acted in more than 90 films and came from a line of actors. Both his father, Raj Kapoor and grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor, were prominent Bollywood film stars.
Kapoor received the National Film Award for his debut as a child artist in his father's 1970 film "Mera Naam Joker."
He is survived by his wife, Neetu Singh, who co-starred in several of his films, his son Ranbir Kapoor — also a famous Bollywood actor — and his daughter.
mvb/rt (AP, Reuters)