Rishi Kapoor Didn’t Want To Play Ranbir’s Father

Rishi Kapoor never wanted to do the stereotypical father’s role. He  was unwilling to play even his own  son Ranbir’s father , unless it was the kind of father that  Shashi Kapoor played to Rishi in  Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhie.

 Hence  the only  time Rishi came together  with  Ranbir– in the  disastrous Besharam—they were  not father and son.

Rishi had  explained  to me, “If you notice, I didn’t play my own son’s father in Besharam. It is not vanity, just sanity. I can’t do the stereotypical father’s role .They don’t challenge me as an actor at all.So I avoid doing father’s roles. It’s just too unexciting. To my good fortune I am getting roles that do not require me to be the so-called father.”

      Rishi  preferred  to be  a non-interfering  parent in real life.  “I’ve been working for the last 42 years. And look at how much has changed. In Bobby the parents tried to bully the lovers. One can’t do that anymore. Couples today work together towards achieving a common goal, whether it’s a house , or holidays abroad or whatever. The parents have little say in their children’s life.”

 Rishi  told me  didn’t  interfere in his own children’s live in his real life. “They are independent individuals with minds of their own. If today I was to behave like Pran Saab  in Bobby my kids would laugh in my face.Today parental intervention is permissible only to the point where the kids respect your opinion.”

Said  Rishi, “I remember poet Pradeep’s song Dekh tere sansar ki haalat kya ho gayi bhagwaan kitna badal gayaa insaan in I.S. Johar’s Nastik. They were singing about how much has changed back then in 1950. They’re still singing the same song. We’re always complaining.”