Rishi Kapoor, the foodie who taught us life’s invaluable lesson

It is difficult to believe that Rishi Kapoor is no more with us. The man who was as vivacious and sprightly as life itself could not be rendered silent by fate! We have known him as much for his acting as for his interesting one liners, nonpareil fashion sense and unmatched love for food. Even the statement released by his family post his passing away says that he kept the medical staff in the hospital entertained till the last and family, friends, films and foods remained his focus. George Bernard Shaw said, “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” and no one proved it better that Rishi Kapoor.

Coming from a family of foodies, his life centred around food even on the sets of films. Although he usually preferred to have a healthy breakfast, but the smell of parathas always distracted him being the true Punjabi that he was. As per some media reports, during the shoot of Housefull 2, just before a breakfast scene was about to be shot, Rishi saw crew members digging into hot parathas. He could not control his temptation and polished off a plateful of them, and when director Sajid Nadiadwala commenced the shoot that involved several retakes, Rishi found it difficult to have another morsel and the shoot had to be delayed!

If one had to find where Rishi was, when he was not shooting and was spending time with his family, a restaurant was the most probable place. He explored the local eating joints when he was visiting a place and never missed trying the local fare. As per a report, when he went to Kolkata, he would not rest unless he had ‘Jhalmuri’ that he also wanted to carry for his wife and mother. On his 67th birthday, he was spotted dining at a Michelin Star restaurant in New York. A discerning foodie, he was not happy with the food there though. He wrote on Twitter, “"Birthday dinner with Neetu at "Daniel" Bouluds flagship restaurant at 65th between Park and Mad.. Disappointed. Highly over rated, over priced and arrogant. Not recommended at all."
When he was in Delhi, shooting for his film Rajma Chawal at Chandni Chawk, he was nostalgic about his visits to Jama Masjid as a kid where he remembered to have eaten a lot of good food. During the shoot of the film, he ate almost every kind of food that old Delhi had to offer and is said to have explored with relish several local eating joints in the bylanes of Chandni Chawk.

His love for food was so great that it was difficult for the actor to decide what his favourite was! Being a true Punjabi he loved parathas and non-vegetarian food. He was very fond of Parsi Akori style eggs and Yakhni Pulao prepared by his mother. The traditional Fish Fry, Yellow Dal, Dal Tadka, Palak Paneer were his other favourites. He loved Chinese food too and was spotted on several occasions visiting the best Chinese restaurants in Mumbai. At a lunch in actor Anupam Kher’s apartment in New York, Rishi was bowled over by something as simple as a ‘rightly made phulka’. He tweeted, “At Anupam Kher's apartment for lunch. Had the correct 'aate (flour) ka phulka (Indian bread)' after after a while. Great food made by his man Friday Daddu," In fact he missed authentic Indian food particularly the homemade ghar ka khana tremendously in New York and even mentioned to a portal that he longed for the homemade chapatis.

We all know how fond Rishi was of whiskey and was spotted in most of his restaurant and party pics with that affable smile and a glass raised to a toast…we may not see that smiling face again, but his love for life, food and acting will continue to inspire us. He valued all good things of life and lived it to the fullest, making the most of everything and taking head on or laughing away what irked. He taught us the way life should be lived, to the fullest, sans regrets, saying cheers to all that it offers, till the very end.