Rishi And Neetu Kapoor Once Fought Over A Piece Of Cake In Business Class On Flight, Recalls Vir Das

Vir Das recently shared a funny memory of the late Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor. The comedian-actor joined Sakshi Shivdasani and Naina Bhan on the podcast Moment of Silence, where he opened up about his interactions with Rishi Kapoor over the years. 

Vir Das first met Rishi Kapoor while working on Namaste London sets. The Vipul Amrutlal Shah directorial was headlined by Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif.

Vir recalled how Rishi Kapoor once called him a "cool guy” and asked for his name. When Vir introduced himself, Rishi Kapoor asked him to shake hands. Vir joked that the handshake made him feel like a “heroine from one of his films,” with all his “masculine energy” just draining out. 

Back then, Rishi Kapoor also called him a great actor and told him to keep acting.

But the real surprise came five years later, when Rishi Kapoor and Vir Das ran into each other again – this time, on a flight.

Vir Das said, “I'm in the back of a flight, and like in the front of the flight, I hear some chikad chikad happening between a couple in business class, ‘You can't eat the cake', and then, ‘I want to eat the cake.' ‘You're not allowed to eat the cake. The doctor said no cake', followed by ‘I want the bloody cake. What the f**k?' Then, Rishi Kapoor stands up.”

What happened next? Rishi walked up to him and said, “Arre, Vir.”

Vir Das added, “He (Rishi Kapoor) comes and sits down next to me, and he tells me this story. He's like you know… and he gave me this list of guys who started with him. Then at some point, he's like, ‘You're going to eat your cake?' Then Rishi Kapoor ate my cake.”

Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, who got married in 1980, made a popular on-screen and off-screen pair. From Amar Akbar Anthony to Kabhi Kabhie, their chemistry lit up the screen in the '70s and '80s. The couple share two children – Riddhima Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor.

Rishi Kapoor died in April 2020, after a two-year battle with cancer. His final film, Sharmaji Namkeen, was released in 2022, with Paresh Rawal completing the remaining parts.