Rishi Kapoor once expressed how his career faced strong competition from Amitabh Bachchan
As we mark the 72nd birth anniversary of legendary actor Rishi Kapoor, it is worth revisiting his comments on how his career path was impacted by the rise of Amitabh Bachchan. During one of his interviews years ago, Kapoor talked about the immense success and fan following Amitabh Bachchan started gaining around the same time since his debut, through iconic roles portraying the angry young man.
Kapoor, who had a dream start with Bobby in 1973, acknowledged that he had to compete with the “storm” created by Bachchan's meteoric rise. While Rishi was portraying more lighthearted and musical roles, Bachchan dominated the action genre with his intense performances. Despite facing such tough competition from an actor in his prime, Kapoor continued carving his space in the industry through roles showcasing his charming persona.
Some of Rishi and Amitabh's most popular films like Kabhi Kabhie, Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, and Coolie struck a great balance by blending both their acting styles. Their last film together 102 Not Out also met with good response years later. However, in his memoir Kapoor had expressed his belief that Bachchan did not give due recognition and credit to his talented co-stars over the years, who equally contributed to the success of their multi-starrer hits through memorable supporting performances.
While the two superstars enjoyed a fruitful on-screen partnership, Kapoor felt Bachchan's focus was more on thanking directors and writers alone for his blockbuster films, without acknowledging how his co-actors enhanced the audiences' viewing experience. Nevertheless, they maintained an amiable rapport in the industry. On Rishi Kapoor's birth anniversary, we fondly remember his memorable roles and unfiltered views on the trade that gave him fame and recognition.
