How Rishi Kapoor Showed Affection, As Revealed By Neetu's Friend Bhawana Somaaya

Neetu Kapoor's friend and journalist Bhawana Somaaya, who shared a love-hate relationship with the late actor Rishi Kapoor, in her new blog entry, wrote about how the actor had an unusual way of demonstrating love. In her new post, Ms Somaaya wrote that she didn't exactly remember how the two became friends and added, "If we had not met for some time, he would call me up early morning and fire me. Firing people was a way of demonstrating affection for Rishi Kapoor. He had to do something to provoke me since now I had stopped getting intimidated by him." Bhawana Somaaya and Rishi Kapoor had a rough start initially. However, they made peace over time. "Both of us had by now stopped complaining about each other to Neetu," she added.

Later in her post, Bhawana Somaaya chronicled how the duo came a long way from not being able to stand each other to "discussing cinema, trends, performance, star systems" and more. She wrote about the interviews that she conducted at Rishi Kapoor's favourite spot - the RK Studios, where the Karz actor was his jovial self and was "always full of stories, anecdotes and laughter."

Ms Somaaaya added that Riddhima Kapoor's (Rishi and Neetu's daughter) wedding was her "most precious memory" of the time spent with Rishi Kapoor. "My most precious memories of time spent with him however is at his daughter Riddhima's wedding, the sangeet, the mehndi and the dance practice at home before that." She stated that she was a regular attendee at the Diwali parties hosted by the Kapoors and their common friends.

Read Bhawana Somaaya's post here:

View this post on Instagram

07.05.2020 Blog Number: 1801 Part 4 Rishi Kapoor/ 2000-2010 I cannot remember the exact details of how Rishi Kapoor and I turned friends but now we shared an independent relationship and if we had not met for some time, he would call me up early morning and fire me. Firing people was a way of demonstrating affection for Rishi Kapoor. He had to do something to provoke me since now I had stopped getting intimidated by him. Both of us had by now stopped complaining about each other to Neetu. Now when the three of us met which was always impromptu, we discussed cinema, trends, performance, star systems and star. For interviews he insisted I drive to RK Studio, Chembur and seated in his cabin, he was always full of stories, anecdotes, laughter. My most precious memories of time spent with him however is at his daughter Riddhima's wedding, the sangit, the mehandi and the dance practice at home before that. I have been visiting his Ganpati celebrations from the first year he brought the deity home, at that time Riddhima and Ranbir were in school. We always met for Diwali as well at parties hosted by common friends. Around this time, I quit as editor Screen and joined Big FM Radio and Kapoor visited our studio to chat on my show and cheerfully participated in our office Ganpati celebrations. A year or two later, when his Pali Hill bungalow was getting demolished, he took pictures of every corner of the house, said, 'I have beautiful memories of time spent here but will have to move out for a while till the bungalow is built again'. He was nostalgic that day and insisted on taking pictures with me sitting in his favorite corner. This is one of the happy pictures we clicked that day, the warmth in the relationship clearly evident in our body language. To be continued... @bhawanasomaaya #neetukapoor #riddhimakapoorsahni #ranbirkapoor #aliaabhatt #rimajain #dabookapoor #kareenakapoor #karismakapoor #sanjnakapoor #rishikapoor #bollywood #kssanjay #pammibakshi #sunitakapoor

A post shared by Bhawana Somaaya (@bhawanasomaaya) on May 6, 2020 at 10:03pm PDT

In her previous post, Bhawana Somaaya mentioned that her first perception of Rishi Kapoor wasn't something she would describe as pleasant. She thought him to be a "big bully" and added, "I wasn't particularly fond of Kapoor in the good old days. He was a big bully and intimidating everybody without provocation. I often complained about him to Neetu and she always maintained that his arrogance was a facade." However, things changed post Rishi and Neetu Kapoor's marriage, and the actor "suddenly dropped all hostility" towards her.

View this post on Instagram

#http://bhawanasomaaya.com/rishi-kapoor-70s-80s-day-1798/ When I became a journalist Neetu Singh was the first film friend I made way back in the 70s. We clicked in the very first meeting and have remained friends over the decades. I would often visit her home in Bandra and on her sets, where ever she was shooting. I was familiar with her family and her staff and whenever we met, we had a lot to talk about, which included her boyfriend at that time, Rishi Kapoor. I wasn't particularly fond of Kapoor in the good old days. He was a big bully and intimidating everybody without provocation. I often complained about him to Neetu and she always maintained that his arrogance was a faccade. She was madly in love with him and whenever she traveled outdoors, she asked me to keep an eye on her boyfriend. Not that I did but that was her way of warning her beloved that he was being watched in her absence. This irritated him naturally and he looked for opportunities to fight with me. In 1980 when Neetu and he got married however, Rishi Kapoor suddenly dropped all hostility towards me. He was concerned why I was no more coming home to meet his wife and family and now when he bumped into me suddenly at a shooting, he made it a point to smile and say, 'meri bibi ki dost hai toh ab meri bhi dost banti hai..' To be continued... @bhawanasomaaya #neetukapoor #riddhimakapoorsahni #ranbirkapoor #aliaabhatt #rimajain #dabookapoor #kareenakapoor #karismakapoor #sanjna.junoon #rishikapoor #bollywood #kssanjay #pammibakshi #sunitakapoor

A post shared by Bhawana Somaaya (@bhawanasomaaya) on May 3, 2020 at 11:37pm PDT

Neetu Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor, who met on the sets of the 1974 film Zehreela Insaan, got married in 1980. Rishi Kapoor died of cancer at the age of 67 in a Mumbai hospital on April 30, this year. He is survived by his wife Neetu Kapoor, son Ranbir, who is a renowned Bollywood actor and daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, a jewelry designer.