Senior filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt reminisces Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan and says it as is. Mukesh Bhatt has never beaten around the bush- and this time is no exception.
Excerpts:
What on earth is happening?
You can say that again! First Irrfan Khan, then Rishi Kapoor. Add this to the growing number of COVID-19 deaths. 2020 has been a horrifying year for Bollywood.
After Alia's association with Ranbir, your equation with Rishi must have strengthened?
That's fine and it has strengthened our bond, but you see I knew him since 45 years. We got acquainted soon after Bobby. We both were not married then. He was in my first film Ab Meri Bari. I used to call him Chintu. I was very fond of him. He was a man who like Bhatt saab (Mahesh Bhatt) and I, never minced words.
Such people often get misunderstood...
He said things not to down people. He said things what he felt. But what's wrong with that? I have so many memories about him. And so many times, good memories tend to give you pain.
Like, if you could tell us a few?
I remember meeting him at IIFA, many times abroad. After the show he said, 'Chal aa ja mere kamre mein, let's have a drink together'. And Daboo (Randhir Kapoor), Chintu and I chatted away to gloet till 3 am!
He was so full of life. He had told me if he could, he would love to live for 300 years. He never got bogged down.He was so full of energy positivity. He was a happy guy.
Whenever we met, he inquired about my wife and kids. It was always genuine warmth.
I shared a very warm equation with Irrfan too. He did 3 films with us.
After he was diagnosed with cancer, Bhatt saab had even gone to his house.
And mind you, bahut masti karta tha woh. He had a serious face but behind that, he had a very witty sense of humour.
Like you and Chintu chatted away to glory, do you see such things happening nowadays...
Rarely. By and large, people have become so plastic, commercial and manipulative. Woh dil nahin rahe. Woh jazba nahin raha. We never discussed only work. We shared so much of personal information with each other. We shared emotions.
That's not happening now. Aajkal emotions emoticons ke dwara pesh kiye jaate hain. If someone wants to laugh or cry, you'll get an emoticon from him. If someone wants to express surprise, you'll get an emoticon from him. Kaunsi sharing hone wali hai?
So true. Technology has degenerated humans. The heart is eroding.
You think we have lost the battle. Humanity is lost forever?
I will want to think optimistically. If someone has got even an iota of brain, he/she will reassess his/herself and change sufficiently.
Jo nahin badlega, woh barbaad ho jayega. There is no end to greed. I have always believed that the man with least needs is the richest.
I am not saying that don't be enterprising. I am not saying that don't be ambitious. Learn to drive the car, let not the car start driving you.
And in that vortex which we have created around us, let us stop ruining the life of others. Let's stop talking ill of each other. Let's see our own inadequacies. One cannot rise by lowering others.
The car has begun to drive us...
Absolutely. The reality has slapped us on the face and if we don't understand even now, as I said, hum barbaad ho jayenge.
Let's enjoy life. Let's enjoy the process of living. Let's stop playing games against each other. I somehow see a silver lining in this cloud. This too I learned from Rishi. He always used to say, 'Arre yaar, leave it. Even this shall pass away. Maze le. Let's enjoy the moment'. I hope that we all start thinking like him.
You can't make a xerox copy of Chintu. I am happy and lucky that I met him in my life. You know what? People whom you genuinely love never die for you. Rishi will live in my heart forever.
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