Remembering her late father and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni opened up about the special bond they shared and the unwavering support he gave her.
She said that despite being a protective father, Rishi Kapoor always trusted her decisions and encouraged her to follow her ambitions.
Riddhima also negated the perception that her father did not allow his children to pursue certain career paths. She insisted that it was never the case and that he always backed her choices.
Recalling her teenage years, Riddhima said her dad was initially worried when she expressed her desire to move to the United Kingdom for higher studies.
“My father was very protective about us. Lots of people say films mein aane nahi dete kaam nahi karne dete nahi aesi baat nahi hai. When I wanted to go abroad for my further studies and education, I told my dad that I wanted to study in the UK. He was very stressed ‘ki meri beti akele UK jaayegi akele kaise rahegi’. He kept walking up and down for almost half an hour thinking about it,” she said.
Riddhima added that despite his concerns, the veteran actor ultimately encouraged her to follow her ambitions.
“I was what, 16 or 17, at that time but he sent me. He said, ‘You do what you like, and I know you will give it your 100 per cent in whatever you do.’ He was very confident about that. Even now, if I had told my dad that I wanted to do a film and make him proud, he would have never stopped me. He would have been there guiding me, and I know that,” she said.
Rishi Kapoor, one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated stars, passed away on April 30, 2020, at the age of 67 after a prolonged battle with leukaemia. Known for his charm and versatility, he delivered memorable performances in films such as Bobby, Karz, Chandni and Kapoor & Sons, among many others.
Riddhima, known to have shared a close bond with her father, has often commemorated him through photographs and personal memories, keeping his legacy alive for followers.
She debuted in the Bollywood industry with the recently released film ‘Daadi Ki Shaadi’, which also featured her mother Neetu Kapoor in the lead role.
‘Daadi Ki Shaadi’ is a family comedy drama film, which is written and directed by Ashish R Mohan. It was released last month.
Riddhima Kapoor also opened up about filming an emotional sequence with her mother. The ace jewellery designer revealed that she sought advice from her family, including her mother and brother, before shooting the scene.
“I was taking a lot of advice from my mother, my brother also and the family. We had a family group chat and since we were in Shimla, we used FaceTime and discuss the emotional scenes,” she said.
The entrepreneur shared that expressing pain openly with her mother had always been difficult, especially following Rishi Kapoor’s death.
“I was little nervous. My mother hasn’t really seen me cry. Even during my father’s time, when we had a breakdown, we would go into separate rooms and cry. We didn’t want to show each other, we used to talk about papa, we used to grieve, and everything, but, when we had that meltdown, that breakdown hum alag kamre mein jaate the and we used to back, trying to be normal, pretending to be normal….,” she recalled.
Talking about the emotional scene in the film, Riddhima said it was one of the rare occasions when she allowed herself to completely break down in front of her mother.
“So we have never really shown our deep emotions to each other. When I let loose and cried, my mom said, ‘I’ve never seen this side of you.’ I told her that’s because I never showed it to her. It was always like that between us,” she said.