Bollywood mourns the deaths of Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan

KARACHI: 2020 has been such a tough year that it’s near impossible to list all the reasons why, but people woke up to another sad news today. Just as people were coming to term with Irrfan Khan’s passing, news made the rounds that legendary actor Rishie Kapoor has also passed away. Two legendary actors gone within 24 hours.

While Irrfan Khan had been taken to the hospital for a colon infection before his untimely death, Rishie Kapoor had been battling cancer since the last two years. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018 and returned to India last September after a year-long course of treatment in New York.

He was taken to hospital on Wednesday morning after he complained of breathing difficulties, his brother Randhir Kapoor told the Press Trust of India.

Bollywood stars have been overwhelmed with sorrow at the news of two of the biggest names in Bollywood passing away so suddenly.

It seems like we’re in the midst of a nightmare…just heard the depressing news of #RishiKapoor ji passing away, it’s heartbreaking. He was a legend, a great co-star and a good friend of the family. My thoughts and prayers with his family 🙏🏻

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 30, 2020

We have lost one of the greats today. An amazing actor, a wonderful human being, and 100% a child of Cinema.
Thank you for all the joy you brought to our lives.
Thank you for being the actor and human being that you were.
You will be badly missed Rishiji.
Love.
a.

— Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) April 30, 2020

Rest in peace chintu sirrr, kaha suna maaf , strength , peace n light to family n friends…

— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) April 30, 2020

I'm at an absolute & total loss for words.Holding this phone in disbelief. Yesterday Irrfan and now …. Gutted , sad , heartbroken .I truly believed you'll come out of this .You will be missed , Sir . RIP . Om Shanti.

— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) April 30, 2020

This is unreal and unbelievable. Yesterday Irrfan Khan and today Rishi Kapoor ji. It's hard to accept this as a legend passes away today. My condolences to the family and may his soul rest in peace 😟💔

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) April 30, 2020

This cannot be true! Rishi sir was my favourite man,and favourite co-star ever! I still remember being nervous around him in Shuddh Desi Romance. He would put me at ease and treat me just like a friend! Will never forget every advice,every joke he told.❤️ #RIP #RishiKapoor pic.twitter.com/dfIi935I0v

— Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) April 30, 2020

My heart is so heavy. This is the end of an era. #Rishisir your candid heart and immeasurable talent will never be encountered again. Such a privilege to have known you even a little bit. My condolences to Neetu maam, Ridhima, Ranbir and the rest of the family. Rest in peace Sir. pic.twitter.com/TR6GVSN4m7

— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 30, 2020

This is the worst phase for the Indian Cinema, it’s an end to an era.
Was fortunate to have worked with him in #Manto and shall cherish those beautiful moments throughout my life
A true entertainer #RishiKapoor Sir #RiP 🙏🏽

— Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) April 30, 2020

View this post on Instagram

❤️

A post shared by Alia Bhatt ☀️ (@aliaabhatt) on Apr 29, 2020 at 2:50am PDT

Rishi Kapoor & Irrfan Khan on another journey… Off to the next World before the rest of us get there. As a friend wrote to me, It’s God who’s taken their dates now. pic.twitter.com/xBZTk5RIv3

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 30, 2020

Stars in Pakistan also expressed their pain and sorrow at the news:

View this post on Instagram

“..People will never forget how you made them feel…” For each time I’ve met you, I remember your kindness, humour, your admiration for Urdu & our extensive discussions on food from both sides of the border.. RIP #RishiKapoor You shall continue to be the Legend that you are.. I’ll always remember you fondly 💔

A post shared by MAWRA HOCANE (Hussain) (@mawrellous) on Apr 29, 2020 at 11:00pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

chintu jee …. 😔 #rip

A post shared by Yasir Hussain (@yasir.hussain131) on Apr 29, 2020 at 10:34pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

Rest in greatness and peace, my forever Maqbool 🤍

A post shared by Mahira Khan (@mahirahkhan) on Apr 29, 2020 at 3:46am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Deeply disturbed to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. I still can’t absorb the news. It feels like yesterday coming back from the sets of Hindi Medium. You taught me a lot as an actor and a mentor. It is indeed a huge loss to the cinema world. Such a brilliant actor gone too soon. You left a huge irreplaceable void in Cinema Irfan. My heartfelt condolences to his family. May Allah give them strength to bear this loss. RIP Raj 💔 Yours Only, Meeta. 🌸

A post shared by 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐚 𝐐𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 (@sabaqamarzaman) on Apr 29, 2020 at 2:07am PDT

View this post on Instagram

“Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un”….. "Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return."! . . . Disturbed and gutted!! A fine soul gone too soon. I had the honour of first meeting Irrfan as a co-star on the sets of ‘A Mighty Heart.’ For one of the scenes after learning his lines I saw him doing the scene again and again which left me puzzled. I asked him, Irrfan Sahab ye kya kar rahe hain aap? He replied- We’re both playing CID agents which means we’ll be showing our ID cards everywhere. I’m practicising the scene so I don’t look clumsy while showing the ID card. And that was the first time I realised what a fine actor he was. We’d become friends on the sets and used to hang out together after the shoot. I remember for another scene, he wanted to know a word in Urdu used commonly in Pakistan and he asked me. He was a great actor but didn’t shy away from learning and perfecting his art. One of the evenings, he shared an incident where him and his friend got the role of an extra actor in James Bond series “Octopussy” which was shot in India. But because they cycled to the set, they were late and the shoot was over. He told me since then he wanted to do a Hollywood movie. Our careers in Hollywood started together, but he proved his mettle and conquered the fort. In 2018 while attending IPPA in London. I found out that he was in London, though he wasn’t meeting anyone he agreed to meet me. We had a long chat about movies and world in general. He looked so positive. His last words were- “Adnan, I’ll be fine very soon and I’ll be back. InshAllah”! Who knew today, I would be penning this note. Condolences and strength to his family. Irrfan, you will be missed a lot. Rest in peace my friend.🙏

A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) on Apr 29, 2020 at 3:02am PDT