Rishi Kapoor, on April 30, left for his heavenly abode. The actor, 67, breathed his last after battling leukemia for 2 years. While his family, fans and friends are yet coming to terms with the loss, the Chandni actor's daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni is walking down the memory lane to celebrate her father's life. Riddhima, on the occasion of Father's Day 2020, penned a heartfelt note for Rishi on Instagram. Not just this, she recalled moments spent with him and poured out her heart while talking to a leading daily. Riddhima, during the conversation with the daily, went on to mention that Rishi wasn't just a dutiful son, a great actor but above all, he was a selfless and dedicated father to her and Ranbir Kapoor.
"Growing up in what they call the first family of Indian cinema, my father, despite being Rishi Kapoor the actor, was just the way any father would be to his kids. In the Kapoor household, I saw my father play myriad roles. He was a dutiful son, a caring brother, a doting husband and above all a selflessly loving and dedicated father," Riddhima told.
Riddhima further added that though Rishi was busy with work when Ranbir and she were growing up, his values, spirit and nurturing were invaluable to them. "When I was born, the family says he vowed that he would not only be the perfect father to me, but also be a friend to his kids. Owing to his extremely busy schedule and back-to-back shoots, my father was never the parent who escorted us from activity to activity, but his spirit, his influence, his character and the value system of our household that he and my mother nurtured in us, were invaluable to my brother Ranbir and me," she added.
Recalling their Sunday movie dates and spending family time, Riddhima said it was sacrosanct for Rishi to rework his schedule. "Besides spending time with my mother, Ranbir and myself, it was sacrosanct for him to spend time with my grandparents, uncles and aunts. Whether it was the mandatory family lunches or dinners, the Sunday movie dates or watching the Indiana Jones film series, we would work our schedules around it and ensure all of us were together for each other," Riddhima said.
With Rishi not being around now, Riddhima said his spirit and teachings will forever dwell in her heart. Calling him her best friend and greatest mentor, she added that his belief in her always empowered her. "He isn’t around anymore, but his spirit and teachings will forever dwell in my heart. We were literally identical people and shared the same sun sign, so my connection with my father was undeniably a very special one for me. Besides being my dad and my superhero, he was my best friend, my greatest mentor, my motivation and my deepest roots. His unshaken and perpetual belief in me and my limitless potential always empowered me. They say daughters soften their father’s heart. Dad, you had the gentlest heart ever. My love and gratitude for you is endless. The knowledge and the experiences you lived with are the irreplaceable life lessons I live by," Riddhima added.
(Source: Hindustan Times/Instagram)