Ranbir Kapoor On Dad Rishi's First Reaction To Cancer Diagnosis: He Said, 'I Can't Leave Sharmaji Namkeen'

Rishi Kapoor's swansong Sharmaji Namkeen is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. It's an emotional moment for not just for the Kapoors but also for the fans across the globe as they'll get to watch the legendary actor for the last time on screen.

Rishi passed away due to cancer in the midst of the film's shoot following which Paresh Rawal stepped in and completed the film. Meanwhile, Rishi Kapoor's actor-son Ranbir Kapoor took up the promotional duties in his absence.

In an interview with NDTV, the Jagga Jasoos actor recalled his father's first reaction when he was diagnosed with cancer. Ranbir said that his father was concerned about Sharmaji Namkeen and told him that he can't leave the film when he was informed that he would be undergoing medical treatment for his ailment in the US.

Ranbir told the news portal, "Sharmaji Namkeen defines the tough period of my father's life. He started a film, he did a blood report and we got to know that he could have Leukemia and we had to rush him to America. A family friend and I went to Delhi to break this news to my father and take him to America to start his treatment."

He added, ""His first reaction was 'what about Sharmaji Namkeen,' a film that he had started. He said, 'I can't leave this film, everyone is waiting for me here.' We spoke to the producers at that time and convinced them and we left the very next day for America. Through the one year treatment in America, all he did was speak of this movie."

Unfortunately, Rishi Kapoor breathed his last on April 30, 2020 leaving the movie incomplete. For a while, the makers toyed with the idea of the late actor's son Ranbir completing the remaining portions wearing prosthetics. However, things didn't work out and finally, Paresh Rawal stepped in to wrap up the film's shoot.