Bollywood is famously revered for its glamorous on-screen romances – which are complete with love songs and exotic filming locations. And popular supercouple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh – both child stars from the 1970s – were lucky enough to fall in love both on-screen and off!
They met on the set of Zehreela Insaan in 1974 – and have starred opposite each other in 12 movies ever since. Singh was just 14 when she started dating the middle child of actor/director Raj Kapoor. In January 1980, the couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Chembur Golf Course, Mumbai.
“Lavish” is probably an understatement for this star-studded wedding – it was truly the Royal Wedding of the 80s. Rishi Kapoor is the grandson of Bollywood movie pioneer, Prithviraj Kapoor, who founded the Prithvi Theatres and succeeded as a silent film actor.
Prithviraj Kapoor’s descendants are no strangers to the limelight – they include 80s heroes Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, and Raj Kapoor – whose children, Rishi and Randhir, continued the dynasty through their next generation, today’s hottest actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Karishma Kapoor, and Kareena Kapoor. With stars that shine THAT bright, Rishi and Neetu’s wedding was sure to be a blazingly brilliant affair!
Look at all that shiny gold and elaborate mehendi work! The Kapoors and Singhs are both Punjabi – so the ceremony featured an elaborate sangeet with lots of “gaana bajaana!” Neetu wore a beautiful, Punjabi lehenga which was heavily embellished with bright colors and gold (although it’s hard to see in these old pictures). She even claims she fainted at her wedding because her outfit was so heavy!
Here’s the lovely Neetu Singh getting ready for her religious ceremony – she recalls she wore a silver sari that Rishi Kapoor’s mother, Krishna Raj Kapoor, gifted her for the reception. Neetu was known for playing bubbly, girlish roles during her stint in Bollywood – and it’s not hard to see why with her stunning looks!
The dashing Rishi Kapoor arrived to his reception ceremony in a sharp, white suit. His soft features made him a lovable romantic hero – often playing the guy-next-door-turned-sweetheart in popular movies. Lately, he has taken on villianous roles too, such as in Agneepath (2012) – but his charming personality will never be forgotten!
As expected, the ceremony was stocked with the biggest stars of Bollywood cinema – this is the newlywedded couple accepting congratulations from Shatrughan Sinha, a popular actor from the era. His last name might sound familiar to us latter-born Bollywood fans – because he’s Bollywood heroine Sonakshi Sinha’s father!
The women of the Kapoor family are rumored to traditionally stay at home as housewives and sacrifice their movie careers after marriage – but Neetu Singh has made her comeback in recent years. Today, the super couple occasionally returns to the silver screen as a pair – they were featured in Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Do Dooni Chaar (2010) together. Their latest film, Besharam, also stars their son – and latest Bollywood hunk – Ranbir Kapoor, and premieres in theaters on October 2nd.
Photos courtesy of OneIndia Gallery, Pinkvilla, Timescontent.com, India Times, and funnyandspicy.com.