Struggling actor Rupesh Kuber, who, while battling lack of offers and pressure to quit on his dreams, suffered a heart attack
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 9, 2019)

A heart attack at the age of 30, that’s the price Rupesh Kuber had to pay to survive in show business. On July 29, the actor was scheduled to return to Mumbai after a visit to his wife in Indore. He was to start looking for acting jobs, but the plan went awry when he suffered a heart attack and had to be hospitalised immediately. With medical costs putting a dent into his already dwindling finances, Rupesh turned to the Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA) for help.

He has been a member of the film body since the last four years but CINTAA has a rule that they cannot offer monetary assistance to anyone who has not been with them for at least five years. That, however, was not a deterrent in this case. “As soon as we learnt about Rupesh’s condition, we reached out to our members asking for voluntary contribution for his treatment,” says Darshan Jariwala, vice president of CINTAA. Rupesh admits that with their contribution and the little money he had of his own, he cleared his bills.

The actor had got his first break with a small role in Crime Patrol in 2014 after two years of struggle, going on to appear in other TV shows, Lapataganj and Neeli Chatri Waale. He has also done 10 short films. “Things started unravelling in 2016 when I had to take a short break to attend to my ailing mother. I was away in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, and had to let go of many promising opportunities,” he rues.

Rupesh had to make more trips to his hometown over the next two years as his mother’s health kept deteriorating. “It was during this period that I got married. I was spending so much time out of Mumbai that eventually I lost touch with people,” he sighs.

Since out of sight is out of mind, the actor had to begin afresh every time he returned to the city. “I used to sleep for just three hours a day, I lost my appetite because there were days when I ate just once. I had no money to send back home,” he reminisces from Rewa where he is recuperating.

Talking about what led to the attack, he says, “In the last one month, I returned home empty-handed every day. The fear of not getting work, coupled with pressure from back home to quit on my dream, got to me in the end. I was scared to start all over again at the age of 30.” For now, he has been advised a month’s rest. But once he gets the green signal, he promises to resume work. “I’ll pay back all those wonderful people who have helped me,” he concludes.

Raj Kapoor with wife Krishna and sons Rishi, Randhir, and Rajiv Kapoor

DNA (June 3, 2018)

On June 2, 1988, Hindi cinema lost its greatest showman – Raj Kapoor. Yesterday on the occasion of his 30th death anniversary, the Kapoor khandaan had a puja at their residence, Devnar Cottage in Deonar near Chembur, Mumbai.

As is the regular practice, after the puja, food and donations were sent out to a couple of orphanages across the city. This year, the actor-filmmaker’s eldest son, Randhir Kapoor also visited Rewa, Madhya Pradesh where a world-class auditorium has been set up in his father’s name. One of Hindi cinema’s leading guiding lights, the prolific artiste has given us noteworthy films including Awaara (1951), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1961), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), which not only earned him the Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award but also put him on the world map.

Rishi said, “My parents got married in Rewa. And, it is an honour that an auditorium has been named after my father in that very city. Dabboo was there for the inauguration. He represented the rest of the family. I couldn’t be there as I was shooting.”