Actor Rishi Kapoor has died at the age of 67. Confirming the news of the veteran actor’s death

Actor Rishi Kapoor has died at 67 after a two-year battle with leukaemia. Rishi breathed his last at the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. His wife and actor Neetu Kapoor was by his side. “Yes, he is no more,” Rishi’s elder brother Randhir Kapoor told Hindustan Times.

A statement from the family read:

Our dear Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully at 8:45am IST in hospital today after a two-year battle with leukemia. The doctors and medical staff at the hospital said he kept them entertained to the last.

He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents. Family, friends, food and films remained his focus and everyone who met him during this time was amazed at how he did not let his illness get the better of him.

He was grateful for the love of his fans that poured in from the world over. In his passing, they would all understand that he would like to be remembered with a smile and not with tears.

In this hour of personal loss, we also recognise the world is going through a very difficult and troubled time. There are numerous restrictions around movement and gathering in public. We would like to request all his fans and well-wishers and friends of the family to please respect the laws that are in force.

He would not have it any other way.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Multifaceted, endearing and lively...this was Rishi Kapoor Ji. He was a powerhouse of talent. I will always recall our interactions, even on social media. He was passionate about films and India’s progress. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family and fans. Om Shanti.”

sources from: hindustan times

When 'Inferno' actor Tom Hanks said that he wants to be cool like his co-star Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan was one of the few Indian stars to seamlessly transition from Bollywood to Hollywood, while breaking the stereotypical barriers reserved for brown people in the West with his unconventional acting skills.

From pivotal roles in big budget tent-poles like 'Jurassic World', 'Inferno' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man' to critically acclaimed and successful crossover dramas such as 'The Namesake', 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Life of Pi', Irrfan was India's first and biggest export to Hollywood. And he did all this without making any clamor about invading the West, and instead let his work do the talking.

He was the actor who matched the Oscar-winning Tom Hanks' on-screen thunder. He portrayed the role of the head of an enigmatic international organisation known as 'The Consortium' in 'Inferno'. While promoting the film Tom Hanks said he wants to be cool like Irrfan.

"Here's what I hate about Irrfan Khan... I always think I'm the coolest guy in the room, and everybody's hanging on to every word I say and everybody's a little intimidated to be in my presence. And then Irrfan Khan walks into the room. And he's the coolest guy in the room," Tom Hanks said about working with Irrfan.

After carving a name for himself in Hindi cinema, he has gradually established himself in the West too. But there was a time in the 1990s when Irrfan was contemplating leaving the glitzy world of showbiz.

British filmmaker Asif Kapadia's "The Warrior" in 2001 gave a much-needed fillip to his career and an exposure to the West that opened new vistas. From there on, there was no looking back.

In an interview with IANS in the past, Irrfan had shared how his move to tread the Hollywood path was initially met with criticism.

"When I entered Hollywood, most of my colleagues and industry people used to say that 'Hollywood mein kya hai', 'Taxi driver aur waiter ke role hi hote hain'. But fortunately things have changed. Now, nationality is not important," he said, going on to use his character in "Inferno" to further elaborate his point. For me in 'Inferno', nationality doesn't matter, or like in 'Jurassic World', where I played the role of Simon Masrani -- he could have been an Indian Sindhi or an Italian. So that is how things are changing. Your nationality doesn't really become a limitation," the National Award-winning star had said.

He also starred in the 2017 film "The Song Of Scorpions", and 2007 movie "A Mighty Heart", which also featured Angelina Jolie, besides the Indo-German short film "The Cloud Door" (1994).

After working on the small screen, Irrfan made his film debut with a cameo in 1988 through Mira Nair's Oscar-nominated "Salaam Bombay". The actor passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was 53.

The actor, diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, was still recovering from the disease after extensive treatment in London.

The actor was taking baby steps back into the acting world. He recovered well enough to complete the shoot of "Angrezi Medium", which was incidentally the last film to hit the screens in India before the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

sources from: Tha times of india