The best Rishi Kapoor movies include Bobby (1973), Karz (1980), Sargam (1979), Chandni (1989) and Naseeb (1981) from his romantic-hero years, and Do Dooni Chaar (2010), D-Day (2013) and 102 Not Out (2018) from his celebrated second innings. Below is our list of 10 Rishi Kapoor movies you cannot forget, with years and key details.
Rishi Kapoor (4 September 1952 to 30 April 2020) was the son of Raj Kapoor and Krishna Malhotra. He won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for Mera Naam Joker (1970) before becoming a leading man with Bobby. He married co-star Neetu Singh in 1980, and their children are Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Ranbir Kapoor. He died of a recurrence of leukaemia at 67.
Rishi Kapoor movies: quick facts
| Film | Year | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bobby | 1973 | Debut as lead, Filmfare Best Actor |
| Sargam | 1979 | Musical hit, Filmfare nomination |
| Karz | 1980 | Reincarnation thriller by Subhash Ghai |
| Naseeb | 1981 | Multi-starrer with Amitabh Bachchan |
| Tawaif | 1985 | Social drama, Filmfare nomination |
| Naseeb Apna Apna | 1986 | Family comedy-drama |
| Chandni | 1989 | Yash Chopra romance with Sridevi |
| Do Dooni Chaar | 2010 | Filmfare Best Actor (Critics) |
| D-Day | 2013 | Rare turn as a gangster |
| 102 Not Out | 2018 | Father-son drama with Amitabh Bachchan |
Top 10 Rishi Kapoor movies you cannot forget
1. Bobby (1973)
Directed by Raj Kapoor, Bobby paired Rishi Kapoor with a teenage Dimple Kapadia. He plays the son of a rich businessman who falls for the daughter of a fisherman, and his father opposes the match. The songs became huge hits, and the film earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
More than fifty years later, it remains the template for the young-love Hindi film.
2. Karz (1980)
Subhash Ghai’s Karz is a reincarnation thriller wrapped in a musical. Rishi Kapoor plays a pop singer who slowly realises he is living a second life and that his past has a score to settle. Tina Munim co-stars.
The stage numbers and the guitar-led soundtrack made this one of the most stylish Hindi films of its time.
3. Sargam (1979)
Sargam is a music-driven drama in which Rishi Kapoor plays a musician, opposite Jaya Prada, who became a star with this film. His performance got him a Filmfare Best Actor nomination.
The songs are still the main reason people return to it.
4. D-Day (2013)
In this spy thriller, Indian agents try to capture a wanted fugitive and bring him back to India. Rishi Kapoor plays the gangster at the centre of the mission, a character modelled on Dawood Ibrahim, and it is one of his most surprising roles.
The film also gave audiences his only shared screen time with Irrfan, one of the film’s most talked-about pairings.
5. 102 Not Out (2018)
Here he plays the 75-year-old son of a 102-year-old man played by Amitabh Bachchan. The father wants his grumpy, rule-bound son to loosen up and live a little, and the film turns that clash into a warm, funny drama.
It reunited the two actors on screen decades after Amar Akbar Anthony and Naseeb.
6. Naseeb (1981)
Naseeb is a classic multi-starrer packed with action, comedy, romance and songs. Rishi Kapoor plays second lead to Amitabh Bachchan, and the two play brothers.
It is a good example of the big masala entertainers that ruled the early 1980s.
7. Tawaif (1985)
In Tawaif, Rishi Kapoor’s character shelters a courtesan and considers marrying her, which forces the story to ask whether society will ever accept her. It earned him another Filmfare Best Actor nomination.
It shows him moving beyond the college-boy romances that made him famous.
8. Naseeb Apna Apna (1986)
A remake of a Tamil comedy-drama, Naseeb Apna Apna follows a city man who is pushed into marrying a village woman and then struggles to accept her. Rishi Kapoor carries the film with easy comic timing.
It works best as a light family watch.
9. Chandni (1989)
Yash Chopra’s Chandni pairs Rishi Kapoor with Sridevi in a love story that goes wrong after an accident. The music was a big success, and the film helped make Switzerland the dream location for Hindi film romances.
It brought him another Filmfare Best Actor nomination.
10. Do Dooni Chaar (2010)
Habib Faisal’s Do Dooni Chaar is about a middle-class schoolteacher who wants to buy a car for his family. It reunited Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh on screen after about 30 years.
The role won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) and marked the start of his acclaimed character-actor phase.
More Rishi Kapoor films worth watching
- Amar Akbar Anthony (1977): the classic multi-starrer with Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna.
- Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977): a music-heavy entertainer with Zeenat Aman.
- Prem Rog (1982): Raj Kapoor’s drama with Padmini Kolhapure, a Filmfare Best Actor nomination.
- Agneepath (2012): he played the villain and won a TOIFA award for Best Actor in a Negative Role.
- Kapoor & Sons (2016): won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
- Mulk (2018): a courtroom drama in which he was praised for his role as a Muslim father fighting for his family’s name.
- Sharmaji Namkeen (2022): his final film, released after his death on Prime Video on 31 March 2022. Paresh Rawal completed his unfinished portions.
For more on Hindi cinema’s greatest stars, browse our Bollywood section, our celebrity profiles and more movie lists.
Frequently asked questions
What was Rishi Kapoor’s first film?
He first appeared as a child in Mera Naam Joker (1970), which won him a National Film Award. His first film as a lead actor was Bobby (1973).
What was Rishi Kapoor’s last movie?
Sharmaji Namkeen (2022) was his final film, released on Prime Video. The Body (2019) was the last film released in his lifetime.
Which Rishi Kapoor movies won Filmfare awards?
He won Best Actor for Bobby, Best Actor (Critics) for Do Dooni Chaar and Best Supporting Actor for Kapoor & Sons. He also received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
When did Rishi Kapoor die?
Rishi Kapoor died on 30 April 2020, aged 67, after a recurrence of leukaemia.
Sources: Wikipedia: Rishi Kapoor, Wikipedia: Sharmaji Namkeen.
