"I'm not happy that Ranbir and I are not friends" - Rishi Kapoor

Intimidating is how most people describe him. As he stands there, issuing orders brusquely, he sure looks daunting. We’re doing a shoot with him at Mehboob Studio and my young colleagues are scurrying for cover. But 10 minutes with Rishi Kapoor and you know all the bluster is just a defense mechanism. In fact, if he’s gruffy, it’s a sign that he likes you. It’s when he’s polite that you need to worry. He laughs, “That’s my nature. People who know me accept me, people who don’t know me find me intimidating. Later they realise what I’m all about. If I throw my weight around, it’s my pyaar ka nature, the way I am. I’m the same at home with my kids and wife. I don’t mean anything.” Sure enough my colleagues are singing his praise within minutes. Adorable, delightful, is how the girls refer to him. 

Professionally, things couldn’t be better for the veteran. He’s like a mall. A one point shopping centre for filmmakers. You want someone to play a mean guy? He’s the man. You want someone to play a gay principal? He’s the one. You want someone with comic timing? You want an underworld don? Yes you’re right. He’s the one. Of late, he has embodied one volcanic character after another, serving up equal helpings of intensity in action and emotion.
It’s a joy talking to Rishi Kapoor. He says it like it is. No mincing words. Whether it’s his less than friendly relationship with his son Ranbir Kapoor, Ranbir’s Casanova image or speculations about his marriage, he answers with a rare candour. Over chilled chaas and Perrier water, I ask him: