2 hrs ago

Rishi Kapoor’s Karz Struggle: Depression, Drinking and Blaming Marriage

Rishi Kapoor expected his film Karz to become a big hit.

It did decent business, but Qurbani became the bigger success when both films were released close together.

Kapoor said this made him feel very disappointed and depressed.

For a while, he was afraid to work in front of the camera.

Doctors and psychiatrists were asked to help him.

His father Raj Kapoor took him away for a change of surroundings and spoke with him.

Kapoor also started drinking with friends because it briefly made him feel more confident.

He blamed his marriage to Neetu Kapoor for hurting his popularity, although he later recovered and Karz became a well-known film.

Key facts

Film: Karz, starring Rishi Kapoor, Simi Garewal and Tina Munim, was released in 1980.
Director: Subhash Ghai directed Karz.
Box-office context: Kapoor said Karz did decent business but was overshadowed by Qurbani, released a week later.
Mental-health crisis: Kapoor wrote that he experienced deep depression, trembling, faintness, paranoia and difficulty facing the camera.
Support: Doctors and psychiatrists were consulted, and Raj Kapoor took him to a farmhouse in Loni and to Shirdi.
Personal circumstances: Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor had married five months before Karz’s release; Neetu was pregnant with their daughter Riddhima.
Later reputation: Karz later became influential and was remade in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu.

indianexpress.com · 2 hrs ago