Book Review – Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored

Rishi Kapoor was one of the A-listers in the 70’s & 80’s. He is the son of legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor & is the father of superstar Ranbir Kapoor. He is known for being brash & upfront. He has had his share of affairs before & after his marriage. So when his autobiography – Khullam Khulla released, we couldn’t help but give it a read. Is it worth your money? Read our review to find out!

The book starts off with a foreword by Ranbir Kapoor. Ranbir Kapoor & his mother Neetu, have been very uprfront about their equation with Rishi Kapoor. They are totally at ease at calling a spade a spade. Ranbir speaks about the stereotypical father-son relationship he shares with his father. Rishi Kapoor then gives us a chronological retelling of events that shaped his life. He speaks at length about his growing up years as a “big man’s” son. His father’s scary demeanor & how he always feared his father. He does throw light on the lavish parties at RK Studios, when the “Showman” of Bollywood – Raj Kapoor was alive. The pages which speak about the other Kapoors are very interesting as well. The book does give the readers an insight about Raj Kapoor & the world of cinema in India during his time. The anecdote Rishi Kapoor shares about Dilip Kumar crying at Raj Kapoor’s death, will strike an emotional chord. He also goes on to speak about his relationships with several male & female actors of his era. He does provide a great deal of information about the difference in attitudes of actors & filmmakers back then vis-a-vis today. Fans of the ultimate romantic hero of the 70’s & 80’s will be delighted to read about Rishi Kapoor’s experiences while shooting hit films like Bobby, Prem Rog, Sargam, Chandni etc. Several pages are devoted to his somewhat uneasy equation & feelings towards Amitabh Bachchan.[amazon_link asins=’935264302X’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’theopiniona02-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’20d3a748-423d-11e8-9c1a-9b0c00c5d830′] Whether it is just a promotional gimmick is anybody’s guess. He also speaks about his friendships & fallouts with several prominent celebrities which include Jeetendra, Rakesh Roshan & Yash Chopra. There is even a mention of his interactions & dalliances with Dawood Ibrahim.
Readers definitely won’t be let down as Rishi Kapoor is anything but diplomatic. The book does indeed stand up to its title. Rishi Kapoor’s openness & candor makes the book highly engrossing. He openly admits to his flaws – personal & professional. Rishi Kapoor does manage to regale his fans by sharing several interesting anecdotes. It was fun to read up about his romance with his wife – Neetu Singh, which continues till this day. The epilogue by Neetu Singh is the icing on the cake.
There are several instances where Mr. Kapoor is comparing his era of filmmaking to the present era & he ends up sounding like an old geezer who keeps saying “Hamare Zamaane Main”. While he is pretty khullam khulla about every aspect of his life, he doesn’t reveal anything about his extra marital affairs. It is in fact Neetu Singh – his wife, who throws light on this topic. Readers who are expecting to read about his struggles will be disappointed. As Mr. Kapoor openly admits, he hasn’t struggled much in his life. The only time he struggled was when he went into depression, post one of his movies not performing up to his expectations. While Karan Johar’s autobiography was up close & persoanl, Rishi Kapoor keeps you at an arm’s length while telling you his life story. Much like their personalities.
But one must admit, Rishi Kapoor is one of the few celebrities whose autobiographies make for a truly interesting read. It is all thanks to his Khullam Khulla attitude. He may not be as big a celeb as Amitabh Bachchan or Sachin Tendulkar, but his autobiography is definitely of the best ones we have read. Do give it a read!

Our Rating: (4.5 / 5)

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