From SRK & Javed Akhtar To Sanjay Dutt & Ranbir, Shocking Revelations In Rishi Kapoor’s Book

Rishi Kapoor’s autobiography Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored has the veteran superstar making some shocking revelations. We list a few for you.

JAVED AKHTAR

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…I was in Bangalore for the release of Bobby and was free one evening with nothing to do.

Someone mentioned to me that a film called Sholay was being shot near Bangalore and that the crew was staying at Bangalore International Hotel, so I went across. I didn’t know anyone as I was still new to films. I ordered a cola – I wasn’t into alcohol back then – and looked around with interest. The first person I noticed was a strange man sitting at the bar and looking at me with what seemed like disdain. I didn’t quite understand what he wanted from me.

A little later, he came up to me and asked, ‘Are you Rishi Kapoor?’

He introduced himself as Javed Akhtar. He could have been the king of England for all I cared. Besides, Salim–Javed had not yet become the Salim–Javed. I knew they had written a few films like Zanjeer and Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) but I wasn’t in awe of them.

Javed continued, ‘You must be very happy that Bobby is such a huge hit.’

I replied, ‘Yakeenan, I am.’

‘Mubarak ho,’ he said, congratulating me. ‘Bobby bahut kamaal ki hit hai (Bobby is a great hit). Par yaad rakhiyega (Please remember) that we’re in 1973. In the year 1972, we had Yaadon Ki Baaraat, in ’73 we wrote Zanjeer, in ’74 we will present Haath Ki Safaai (it starred Vinod Khanna, Randhir Kapoor and Simi Garewal and turned out to be another huge success) and in 1975 we will release such a film that if it makes a profit of even a rupee less than Bobby, I will break the nib of my pen. I will never again write in my life.’

The man was drunk to the gills but his confidence was phenomenal. Bobby had done unprecedented business and to predict that an unreleased film would break its record or else he would quit his profession was brave, if not foolhardy.

A few years later, Salim–Javed wanted me to work in Trishul, directed by Yash Chopra. They offered me the role that eventually went to Sachin, but I said no. I must be the first and only actor in the history of Hindi cinema to have refused Salim–Javed at their peak. Kabhi Kabhie had been released by then. Ramesh Talwar (erstwhile AD to Yash Chopra) had become a friend; I was already doing his film Doosra Aadmi, which Yash-ji was producing. And I was on excellent terms with Yash-ji too. But I turned down Trishul because I didn’t like the way the role had shaped up. Salim and Javed bristled at my rejection and the animosity bubbled to the surface when I encountered Salim Khan at Playmate Club (which used to be in Hotel Sea Rock in Mumbai) a few days later.

I was playing a game of snooker when Salim sa’ab walked over and asked me, ‘How did you have the guts to refuse Salim–Javed?’

Not one to be intimidated, I shot back, ‘I didn’t like the role.’ Salim sa’ab boasted to me, ‘Do you know that to this day nobody has said no to us? We can destroy your career.’

‘What can you do to finish me?’ I demanded.

He said, ‘Who will work with you? You know, we had offered Zanjeer to Rajesh Khanna and he turned us down. We didn’t do anything to him but we created an alternative to him, a hero called Amitabh Bachchan, who destroyed Rajesh Khanna. We will do the same to you.’

Later, I starred in Amar Akbar Anthony, which broke many box-office records while a film called Imaan Dharam, written by Salim–Javed and directed by Desh Mukherjee, bit the dust at the box-office. It was such a dud that people started saying, ‘Salim–Javed ki film flop ho gayi.’

RANBIR KAPOOR

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I do not have a say in Ranbir’s creative choices, I have never attempted to interfere in his career. Of course I must admit that as a father I felt uncertain at times because deep down I felt the objections were valid. People around us meant well. Indeed, what was Ranbir doing in movies like Rockstar? Or Wake up Sid (2009)? In Raajneeti (2010) he shared the screen with five other lead actors and then he played a hearing- and speech impaired person in Barfi (2012). His unconventional choices used to scare me.

Ranbir has strange likes and dislikes. When he’s home, he loves to start his day with scrambled eggs and caviar. I marvel at his indulgence. I grew up as Raj Kapoor’s son, but we never had scrambled eggs and caviar. I tell Ranbir that caviar isn’t good for him but he’s extremely fond of it. And then, for someone who starts off his day with such a flourish, he starves the rest of the time. He is not fond of liquor, but it would be good if he gave up smoking. I managed to finally give up cigarettes in my second attempt. It’s been years since I smoked. Ranbir went to some spa overseas and now I hear he doesn’t smoke. He never smoked in front of me, anyway. When he turned eighteen, I gave him a beer and said he could drink in my company. So he has a drink with me once in a while but he is not a heavy drinker.

The distance that exists between us is similar to the one between my father and me. Ranbir and I see each other through this space but can’t feel each other. At least, I can’t. There are times when I feel I’ve missed out on being a friend to my son. I was a strict father because I was brought up to believe that’s how a father should be. In one of his interviews, Ranbir said, ‘My father is not a friend. He is a father. I can’t backslap him and joke around with him.’ He is a friend to Neetu but not to me, and that’s something I deeply regret.

SHAH RUKH KHAN

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Yash Chopra wanted Kapoor to play the obsessive antagonist in Darr but the actor was in no mood to play a baddie, especially since he had last made Chandni with the director. The filmmaker then offered him Sunny Deol's role. That too was rejected, for Kapoor believed he would be overshadowed by the villain who had the meatier part. Kapoor suggested the name of his Deewana co-star who he thought was "smart and capable". The rest as they say is history.

RAJ KAPOOR

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Rishi Kapoor had begun writing the book, talking about his dad Raj Kapoor's affair with Nargis Dutt and Vyjayanthimala. He recalled how the veteran diva had claimed that his father had 'manufactured the romance because of his hunger for publicity'.

SANJAY DUTT

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The media may not have been as powerful back then as it is today, but people made up stories as blithely then too. I was not married at the time and Tina was seeing Sanjay Dutt. One day, Sanju and Gulshan Grover visited Neetu at her apartment in Pali Hill. The rumours had gotten to him. Gulshan later told me that during the filming of Rocky (Gulshan was also in the film), Sanju had come to Neetu's house to pick a fight with me. But Neetu handled the situation marvellously. She diffused what could have turned into a very ugly scene by calmly explaining to Sanju that the rumours were baseless. She told him, 'There's nothing going on between Tina and Chintu. They are colleagues and buddies. You have to learn to trust when you're in this industry.' Later, Sanju and I would laugh over the incident. He was heavily addicted to drugs those days, and was high the day he came to Neetu's house too.

For more on Rishi Kapoor, grab his autobiography’s copy

This article has been published with permission from HarperCollins 


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