3 Times When Rishi Kapoor Crushed On Older Heroines

There is an  odd romantic occurrence in Rishi Kapoor’s career peculiar to him alone.  Three times he has played a  young  man who falls in love with  a much  older woman.  It was  like  the  ‘Mrs Robinson’  romance happening  three times  over for the young actor.  Each time he made the liaison look special.

Mera Naam  Joker:  Rishi  was 14 when he  played  the younger avatar of  his father Raj  Kapoor  who has a massive crush on his English teacher.  Young Raju brings Simi Garewal   freshly plucked flowers. He sighs and  swoons each time she passes  by. And he has his  first…errr….sexual awakening when she accidently falls into the water and exposes het wet thighs to the little  boy. This was not  only Raju’s first  visit to Thigh Land it  was   Rishi  Kapoor first  romantic involvement on screen. And he looked so lovestuck because  he had  a teenieweenie real-life crush on Ms Garewal. But shhhhh!  You  didn’t hear this  from me.

Doosra Aadmi:  In  1977 when Rishi Kapoor  was  25  he  was paired with Raakhee Gulzar in director Ramesh  Talwar’s age-challenged romance. Of course this couple  couldn’t go  all the way although  they promised each other  Chal kahin dur  nikal jayen. . But before they could  journey into  an unconventional man-young-woman-older  alliance  there was  a  catch.  Rishi reminded  his ravishing  romantic  interest of her dead husband played  by  Shashi Kapoor.Just a year before Doosra Aadmi Shashi Kapoor had played Raakhee’s  husband  in Kabhi Kabhie  and Rishi was her son. She admitted playing a romantic couple in  Doosra Aadmi  was not  a happy occasion  but  both the actors managed to overcome their initial awkwardness.Rishi could  romance anyone  successfully.

Ek Chadar  Maili Si:  Litterateur  Rajinder  Singh  Bedi’s novel about a Punjabi ritual whereby a widow is  forced to marry her brother-in-law  was supposed to be  portrayed on  screen  by  Geeta  and Dharmendra.  Finally  in  1986 it went  into  the hands  of  Hema  Malini  and Rishi Kapoor who  was   ten  years her junior, both on and off screen. Hema says there was no  awkwardness  between  them. And if there was, then it served  the  screenplay’s purpose.  But what about Rishi who  had to look  and act like a drunken so-and so leching  for his Bhabhi?  Not for a second did he slip  up on his performance.This  guy could play anything. And everything.And with anyone.