“We cannot believe that it has been four years,” says Riddhima Kapoor Sahni with melancholy in her voice as she speaks about her late father Rishi Kapoor on his death anniversary. For Riddhima, who is set to make her acting debut with Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, this year is all the more hard with her father not being around to see her make this big career move.
“As I’m making my screen debut, he would have been more than supportive and I could have asked so many questions because this is my first time [in front of the camera],” shares Riddhima, adding, “Of course mom (Neetu Kapoor) is around to help me all the time, and she answers my questions if I have anything to ask her. But, as a family we really wish that papa was around.”
Riddhima further says her father would have been so happy around his granddaughters. “He would have been so excited around Raha (Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s daughter). She’s such a cute heart. My daughter Samara was also very close to him. We really miss his physical presence in our lives every single day.
Having witnessed the glorious careers of her star parents Rishi and Neetu on the big screen, Riddhima admits she has grown up inculcating the same values as them. “Papa always told us ki koi bada chota nahi hota hai. You have to treat everyone the same. You give respect, you get respect and that is what I and Ranbir have learnt from him,” she recalls.
{{/usCountry}}Having witnessed the glorious careers of her star parents Rishi and Neetu on the big screen, Riddhima admits she has grown up inculcating the same values as them. “Papa always told us ki koi bada chota nahi hota hai. You have to treat everyone the same. You give respect, you get respect and that is what I and Ranbir have learnt from him,” she recalls.
{{/usCountry}}Reminiscing countless memories of her late father fondly known as ‘chintu’ by Kapoor family and members of the film fraternity, Riddhima reveals that her friends and family call her ‘mini Chintu ji’. She shares that for her, it is all about being “real”, a quality that was synonymous to Rishi and reminds many of him even today.
“My dad was very real. Jo tha unke mann mein, woh bol dete the. He wouldn’t think twice and that is something that I have imbibed from him -- to be real and not mince your words. Don’t be diplomatic. Don’t hurt anyone but be honest in everything you do be it work or anything that you are giving into. That is one thing my parents have taught me. You have to be honest and be a real person,” asserts Riddhima, who hasn’t taken up any more acting projects and wants to “first see how my debut is received by the audiences.”