‘He Couldn’t Be in the House Without Me’

On September 4, Rishi Kapoor would have turned 73. He was mercurial, volatile, blunt, but utterly lovable. Neetu and Rishi’s marriage was volatile but they were inseparable.

Neetu recalls, “Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) couldn’t do without me for even a minute. When I went for my weekly movie outings with friends, he would call me constantly. That’s why I stopped acting. He didn’t stop me. But if I were away shooting, he wouldn’t be able to take it. He couldn’t be in the house without me. Since Rishi and I grew up together and sort of merged into marriage, I didn’t mind his dependence on me.”

Neetu says she was the active parent in the family. “Both my kids — Ranbir and Riddhima — are gentle and, in school, they never behaved like star children. My husband's work ensured he was never at home. He never knew about homework, parent-teacher meetings and the kids' daily routines. Ranbir didn’t get a chance to be close to his father until he assisted him in directing Aa Ab Laut Chalen.”

Talking about her parenting pattern, Neetu says, “I never pampered Ranbir. I pampered my daughter Riddhima because I always knew she was going to get married and go away, so I gave her everything. But Ranbir had it much tougher. I never gave him anything on a platter. I’ve given him a good foundation in life. I’ve taught him to be nice to people, no matter what.”