Rishi, Rajiv and Randhir Kapoor; Rima Jain in Delhi on Tuesday; Neetu Kapoor remembers Ritu Nanda (below)

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 15, 2020)

On Tuesday, Raj and Krishna Kapoor’s elder daughter Ritu Nanda, 71, breathed her last around 1.15 am in Delhi. She was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago.

According to sources, her brothers Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv Kapoor left for the Capital early in the morning. Rishi’s actress-wife Neetu Kapoor shared the news on Instagram with a picture of Ritu. While speaking to Mirror, Anu Ranjan said that she first met Ritu 20 years ago. “She was a loving and caring person who was brave and lived a happy life,” she added.

Married to Rajan Nanda, who passed away two years ago, Ritu was the chairperson of the Ritu Nanda Insurance Services (RNIS). She set insurance records for which she was feted several times.

While speaking to Mirror (July 17) Rishi, who was in New York for cancer treatment had spoken about the support and love he had received from his family during the time. “I must make a special mention of my niece Natasha and my elder sister Ritu Nanda who is also here for the same reason. They were our anchors who kept Neetu and me going,” the 67-year-old actor had said.

Amitabh and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were among the first to leave for the funeral, which took place in the afternoon in Delhi.

Sanjay Kapoor said, “We had been close family members since we lived in Chembur. I met Chintu and Ritu in New York as well. It’s a sad moment for us.”

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, who edited Ritu’s book, Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, says, “While working on the book, we met a couple of times. She was always laughing and abided by the famous Kapoor hospitality; one couldn’t leave their house without being fed. She was always so jovial that one would never know she was traveling to the US every few months for treatment.”

—With agency inputs


Top to bottom: Abhishek with Agastya and Navya Naveli; Aishwarya; Amitabh Bachchan