Sharmila Tagore On Rishi Kapoor: He Took My Attention Away From Saif In Hum Tum

Sharmila Tagore Mourns The Loss Of Two Of Her Beloved Actors

The Amar Prem actress wrote for Scroll, "Two of my beloved actors and stars, both on the cusp of greater glories, both gone ahead of time, both leaving behind not only their personal families but also their extended families of film lovers and fans. Two entirely unexpected deaths on two consecutive days in the middle of such unprecedented and worrying times."

The Veteran Actress Is Devastated By Both The Deaths

She further wrote, "There wasn't even an opportunity to say goodbye. The passing of Rishi and Irrfan - how does one even commit that phrase into writing - leaves me devastated. At this moment, I cannot begin to contemplate the enormous void that these magnificent actors have left behind. Who can possibly fill the gap? Do we even want to fill the gap?"

When Rishi Took Sharmila's Attention Away From Saif In Hum Tum

"Rishi embraced his characters with such vivacity and enthusiasm that it was impossible to resist his charm. When he bursts onto the screen in Hum Tum singing 'Main shayar toh nahin', you instantly surrender yourself to his joie de vivre and smile along with him. He literally owns the scene. In that moment, despite myself I felt my attention wavering from Saif to Rishi," revealed the veteran actress.

She continued, "Rishi turned the corner in 2012 with his menacing and ruthless Rauf Lala in Agneepath. His follow-up act in D-Day with his rose-tinted glasses as Goldman was pure gold. Rishi believed in the king-size moment, without going over the top. You just have to watch him feed off Amitabh Bachchan in 102 Not Out to realise that on his day he could beat any actor hollow."

Sharmila Reveals Her Favourite Performance Of Rishi Kapoor

"For me, Mulk is his most memorable film. A nuanced and balanced portrayal of a retired Muslim lawyer countering Islamophobia. His words "Aaj jo hum faisla kar rahein hain, woh hamaare kal ka faisla karega" will always remain relevant. In the hands of someone less aware, this ran the risk of playing to the gallery. But with Rishi, even as you are aware that he is cherishing every moment of this challenging role, you also know that this actor will not give in to the temptation of "overacting". Such was his control on his craft," revealed the veteran actress.

Rishi Kapoor Wasn't An Insecure Actor

Sharmila wrote, "Rishi was not an insecure actor. He had the generosity in letting his co-actors inhabit a scene. Luck by Chance, Love Aaj Kal, Do Dooni Chaar, Kapoor and Sons and many others are proof enough. As an actor, Rishi understood the integrity of the scene as a whole, allowing his co-stars the space without overwhelming them with his star persona."

Sharmila Tagore On Irrfan Khan

"On the other hand, Irrfan was a master of the understated. His deadpan amused demeanour and his casual throwaway delivery were in direct contrast to Rishi's. And yet, he was as effective. He was king of the small gesture - a raised eyebrow, a smirk, a look in his intriguing eyes that you could never wholly interpret. All of this lent him a mystique that haunted the viewer long after the screens dimmed, leaving the audience wanting more. You went back just to see what you might have missed the first time.

What gave his acting an edge, to my mind, is the feeling that he hid more than he revealed. A kind of absent-mindedness, as if he's both present and not present. I looked forward to his multi-dimensional performances," wrote the actress in her tribute.