Talking about why he bought the Best Actor award, Rishi Kapoor later said, "I feel guilty about the fact. I was all of 20-21 years of age and I was suddenly a huge star after Bobby, and I was a real brat."
Rishi Kapoor breathed his last at the age of 67 on April 30, 2020, after battling leukemia for two years. The celebrated actor is remembered for his multiple notable films such as Bobby, Kabhi Kabhie, Amar Akbar Anthony, Karz, Chandni, Henna, Mulk, Agneepath, Do Dooni Chaar, and Kapoor & Sons.
The late actor was known for being vocal and brutally honest about his opinions. On his third death anniversary today, we share a throwback to when Rishi Kapoor himself admitted to buying the Best Actor award for Bobby, his debut film as a leading hero. He even stated that his act left Amitabh Bachchan 'sulking' as the latter felt that he deserved the award for Zanjeer, which was released in the same year 1973.
In his autobiography Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, talking about the cold war between him and Amitabh on the sets of the 1976 film Kabhi Kabhie, Rishi wrote, "I think that Amitabh was sulking because I had won the Best Actor award for Bobby. I am sure he felt the award was rightfully his for Zanjeer, which released the same year. I am ashamed to say it, but I actually ‘bought’ that award. I was so naïve. There was this PR, Taraknath Gandhi, who said to me, ‘Sir, tees hazaar de do, toh aap ko main award dila doonga (If you give me 30,000, I will make sure you get the award)'. I am not the manipulative sort but I admit that I gave him the money without thinking."
While many people assumed that Rishi Kapoor was talking about the Filmfare Award, the late actor said in an interview with India Today after his book launch, "I did not write a Filmfare Award. I have not said any names. I have said I bought 'an award'. I feel guilty about the fact. I was all of 20-21 years of age and I was suddenly a huge star after Bobby, and I was a real brat. Someone told me, 'You know, we can get this award, do you want it?', and I said, 'Yes, of course,' and then he said, 'It will cost you Rs 30,000.' 30,000 rupees back then was big money. So I said why not".
Rishi further stated that he might have received the award based on merit and he might have just been conned as he added, "But listen, that man could have been a con guy. Giving the benefit of the doubt, it may never have reached the original guys. I never thought that the award was compromised. Yes, I did go on to get it, but perhaps they gave it on merit? I don't know whether it went to their pockets. But I gave a man that amount of money."
Rishi Kapoor was last seen in the YRF docu-series The Romantics, which he shot a month before his death. The four-part documentary series began streaming on Netflix on February 14 earlier this year.
READ | Alia Bhatt thanks Kapoor family, remembers Rishi Kapoor on winning Filmfare Award: 'His blessing is always with me'
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