Because instead of making me think of Aamir Khan, this one makes me think of the most wonderful father-son pairing that ever graced the Bollywood silver screen: Rishi and Ranbir Kapoor. Ok, fine, so there's another father-son duo whom I am also ridiculously fond of (by the same last name too!), but we'll forget about that for the coming month. (Don't worry Shahid, I'm still working on how to skip work and see Mausam first day first show!)
I try not to follow them too much in interviews and such because no good things can come out of that, but these two always make me happy on the big screen.Yes, even young Rishi is adorable to me, though my experience with his loverboy antics is quite limited. I never know if that's a good thing or a bad one.
For some reason I always have a lovely time imagining young Rishi running around after a 7 year old Ranbir who is prancing and singing "Papa kehte hain bada naam karega" (Daddy says: he'll make a big name for himself) completely unaware of what destiny (and surely some family connections) had in store for him.
So now that I put that image in your head... Mwahahahaa!!! No really, whenever I think about Rishi playing daddy, I associate him not with what I read about him in the news, but with his aura in recent movies. Because my head is a giant melting pot of reality, fillums and everything in between, for me the Papa that the song above is talking about needs a face and that face belongs to Rishi Kapoor. Is it a completely false image? Oh yes, I am certain of it! But I give it to you anyway because... well, because who would not want a daddy with Rishi Kapoor's face and a mosaic of his characters from recent movies? You tell me after you read this!
Today I feel like playing, so putting Papa Rishi together will be my Cranium playdough challenge. Unfortunately this may mean that not everything will stay in place for long (especially when confronted with reality), but at least it makes for good fun. And what better way to start Kapoor Khazana, a month of celebrating the Kapoor clan, that with a little bit of sci-fi sculpting? Or clay playing... same thing.
So here we go, reaching for the dough... 3... 2... 1... aaaand Action!
The big blob of the body is red, because it's a colour that to me symbolizes the bonhomie that I always associate with Rishi's roles. He radiates it like Santa Claus radiates jolliness and I can't even pick one role where this comes through more or less because it seems to be everywhere, even in serious roles like Ali Beg in Delhi-6. Whenever I see Rishi appear, I start smiling contentedly because like a cup of hot chocolate he makes everything better.
The red body is completed by white limbs which symbolize wisdom, a trait I saw a lot of in his character in Love Aaj Kal. A father figure who's always there for you with good life advice and a sympathetic ear! He may laugh at you when you behave foolishly, but it'll never be with malice. Nothing short of ideal, I should say!
A wool sweater or a grey kurta a la Fanaa must absolutely convey a sense of warmth coming from playdough Papa Rishi who manages to be lovable even when drunk, or in the case of Fanaa, especially when drunk! Certainly a man who knows what's right and worries for his children but without being overbearing.
Finally, from Luck by Chance I took away some mischief, some sarcasm and also some street smarts and added it to the Rishi dough. And this will be... green, like a leprechaun. We'll add this shape as the nose because it's cute. Seriously no other reason. Ok, maybe because his nose should have grown double in Luck by Chance from all the monkey business he was wheeling and dealing. But luckily for him, it was all in good heart and I can't imagine any other actor who would have kept my undiminished sympathy all the way to the end of the film in this role.
Damn: time's up! I may not win this round of Cranium after all... Unfortunately, after all that, my play dough Rishi looks more like a blobby turtle...
So are you still wondering what that has to do with the song? Other than that being someone's humming challenge at Cranium?
La la la la la...
Dil ki duniya mein apna naam karega...
(He'll make his name in the world of hearts)
Keep guessing, I won't tell you!
But I'll give you a hint: it's my cue for the next post in Kapoor Khazana dedicated to my favouritest Kapoor (from this clan at least): Ranbir!
Now excuse me while I go swoon over this picture for the next week or so!
Oh that was just mean to end with that picture. Here I was, all set to write something intelligent, and now it's lost as I stare at his lower lip.
ReplyDeleteBollywood has turned me into such a loose woman! Aieee! Um. Anyway.
I to love Papa Rishi and wish I did not know ANYTHING about him in real life that ruins it. He just nails these father roles (a million times better than Amitabh ) with warmth and wisdom and huggableness but a bit of regret or having learned things the hard way.
I got to see him in person last year in London and even as he was blathering on about his amazingly long career as a hero and how many heroines had launched opposite him - which to me is just a clear sign that YOU ARE TOO DAMN OLD TO BE PLAYING OPPOSITE YOUNG WOMEN! - I still wanted to rush the stage and hug him.
Filmified Rishi zindabad!
u forgot Do Dhooni Char.. where he plays the "baap" of all dad roles. :-)
ReplyDeleteand i also liked him lots as the Hum Tum dad.
Bwahahahaa! Beth, trust me, it took me a good half hour just to select ONE picture, I got so lost on Google images :P
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I so agree about Papa Rishi. I simply refuse to remember all the stuff I hear him say in real life and just prefer to go with my own perfectly false image. Filmi Rishi zindabad indeed! Sometimes it's just better to not wake up from a good dream :)
@ Ms A - *sniffle sniffle* I didn't forget about Do Dhooni Char... I just haven's seen it yet :( But I will, very soon! I promise!
And I seemed to remember really liking him in Hum Tum but because I didn't love the movie overall I don't have that DVD, so I couldn't refresh my memory about what he does in it. I think it's the one where he's hitting on some aunty (Kiron Kher maybe?)??... If that's it then yes, I definitely adored him there too :D
I am quite amused to see how you view Rishi! He is from my generation, less than a decade older than I am. His Bobby came out when I was in middle school and we girls were all a little in love with him. He was cute in all those teenage films with Neetu Singh but then I was a teenager too! A natural actor with a good screen presence, he had a definite appeal. He didn't age that well though - in his thirties he seemed to dress too young and play much younger parts, which is very annoying. And he got chubby so it didn't quite work (I got chubby too but I was not in films playing a 25 year old!). He seemed to have lost his appeal - I remember seeing him in a film with a very young girl and feeling put off! Then fast-forward and he has reached a comfortable middle-age, chubbier than ever before but now it doesn't matter much as he acts his age. And so his natural appeal comes right back. Isn't it interesting that appeal like that crosses all cultural barriers?
ReplyDeleteSuja
Haha, Suja, I always count my blessings for having discovered some of these actors when they were past their prime AND after they had accepted that :) (As an aside there are a few right now who could use a reality check, but won't get into that). Because yes, I can definitely imagine how I would have been put off too had I seen Rishi in a 90s movie romancing a 20 year old, even if age differences in Indian films have become rather common place even for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for going down memory lane about "Bobby" there! I always love listening to stories about people from other generations going gaga over an actor/actress who is now old and wrinkly :) It makes these actors so much more appealing to me when I do watch them in an oldie. I can't explain it, but it's almost like knowing that someone used to have a crush on them takes away the fact that I *know* they are old and wrinkly now :)
I think you nailed it about him right now too: he's past the stage where he had to try and be a certain way, so his natural talent and charisma just come through.
Thanks for stopping by and for your story! :D
Hey watch who you call old and wrinkly!! Thats my gen you are talking about!! :) If you want to read more about my links with Bobby and its music, read my post http://sujamusic.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/listening-to-bobby-1973/
ReplyDeleteI love Rishi, it has a lot to do with me growing up with his films. Hmong people love him too, mainly due to his movie, Yeh Vaada Raha. I swear I still get hits like crazy on that page from Hmong people or emails from them asking me what is the Hindi title.
ReplyDeleteAs for Ranbir, you know how I feel about him <3
Awesome post :D
Sorry Suja-ji, maaf kijiye :P Read your review and another one for Bobby. very excited to see it in July :)
ReplyDelete@ Nicki, sounds like I should also put Yeh Vaada Raha in my queue :) As an aside, it never fails to amuse me when someone talks about yet another film whose title was mentioned in Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte :)
Ah and yes, Ranbir... :) Nothing more to be said there... :D