A love that never grows old!

 

 

Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh

In an era where we witness more endings than beginnings to love stories and where marriage seems like a risky gamble, there is a dire need for young couples to look up to those who have preserved their bond of love even after spending lifetime together. Straight from the glamor world is one such story of Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor, whose love for each other is as firmly incorporated in to their marriage as it was 35 years before, when they decided to be together forever.

Rishi Kapoor was an actor who not only dominated Bollywood screens but was also considered as the most eligible bachelor within the industry owing to his exceptionally good looks and charismatic persona. At the mere age of 21, he had become the most sought after chocolate boy of Bollywood.

If Rishi Kapoor was the king of hearts in the 70s and 80s, Neetu Singh had just began to get noticed for her brilliant acting and unavoidable beauty on and off screen. At the age of 14, Nitu Singh however, was crawling her way to stardom. Marriage was not on her to-do-list.

They met on the set of Zehreela Insan, in 1974, opening the doors to friendship. Rishi Kapoor did not fall in love with her at first sight, nor did she ever try to win over his affection. Rishi would love teasing the young Neetu on sets with pranks or tactics such as ruining her make-up by smearing Kajal on her face. Annoyed as she was with him, the Tom and Jerry fight was the first spark which ignited a filmy romance between them. Cupid struck in a manner that was least expected. It was on the sets of Zehreela Insan that Neetu Singh noticed the sleepless nights which Rishi would spend, stressed due to a strained relationship with his girlfriend. Neetu offered her assistance in patching things up between Rishi and his acclaimed lover. Accepting her assistance, Rishi had her writing telegrams to his girlfriend, claiming the heart broken stance in which their break-up had left him with. Ironically, it was this pigeon-play by Neetu where she spent long hours with Rishi, discussing the ups and downs of his relationship, writing his feelings down for him that intensified an unintentional chemistry between them. After separating ways, Rishi Kapoor had soon realized how much he missed Neetu and wrote to her on April 13, 1979, stating his feelings on a piece of parchment.

Confessing an affection for one another, Rishi and Neetu began dating, keeping their relationship at a low key to prevent “tongues wagging in the industry”. Though Rajee, Neetu’s mother, was skeptical about this relationship, Rishi’s official proposal to Neetu had her doing ‘flips’ with joy. Announcing their official engagement at an Indian wedding in Delhi, Rishi Kapoor took the young heroine by surprise. Rajee however, had been made privy to the announcement beforehand.

There were pangs of guilt that erupted within Nitu by the thought of leaving her mother alone to cater for herself. Rishi Kapoor at this stage proved to Neetu that his love could conquer all her fears and came to her rescue by inviting Rajee to live with them. Subsequent to this invitation which Rajee gladly accepted, Neetu had no reason left to delay the nuptials.

Wedding bells rang throughout India and the Bollywood film industry as the couple went from Reel to Real announcing themselves man and wife. Love knows no easy roads however, and the first controversy erupted due to the patriarchal custom within the Kapoor family where the daughter-in-law is prohibited to work outside home. Neetu adhered to the family laws, leaving the industry for good, provoking rumors that she had been compelled to abandon her career. Playing the role of a devoted wife, Neetu denied the rumors by praising her supportive husband, claiming that her decision had been made without any influence by her in-laws.

It wasn’t all flowers and romance for Neetu and Rishi after their marriage which was subject to rumors, controversies and even on the verge of breaking up. Yet Neetu and Rishi proved that love grows stronger with barriers, as you break through them, hand in hand with each other. After more than 35 years today, with a son who is an international sensation (Ranbir Kapoor) and a beautiful daughter (Ridhima Kapoor), Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor continue developing a legacy of love together, appearing more romantic than any young couple, both off and on screen.

Trivia

• On April 13, 1970 Rishi Kapoor wrote a letter to Neetu Singh reading “Sikhni bari yaad arahi hai”.
• Before falling in love with Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor had broken up with a former actress with whom he had dated for 5 years.
• Rishi Kapoor was a strict boyfriend and did not permit Neetu to work after 8:30 pm.
• In the late 1990s it was reported that Rishi was turning into an alcoholic with rumors that Neetu Singh had filed against him for domestic violence.
• It was also rumored that Neetu Singh had left Rishi for good and had started her own salon to earn a living. Neetu however, returned to her family, putting the rumors to rest.
• Ranbir Kapoor is claimed to have said that there came a phase in his parents’ life where they would quarrel all night.
• On the sets of Amar Akbar Anthony, Rishi Kapoor smeared kajal on Neetu’s face, forcing her to redo her make-up. 
• On their frequent dates, Neetu Singh’s mother would send her cousin to accompany the couple as she was not too happy about the affair.