Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, who made her Bollywood acting debut earlier this year in Daadi Ki Shaadi, has opened up about the unwavering support she received from her late father Rishi Kapoor and the emotional weight of starting a film career six years after his death. In a recent interview, Riddhima said her father would have “never stopped” her from entering films, pushing back against the long-held perception that Rishi Kapoor discouraged his children from joining the family business.
“I know my father is always with me, blessing me in anything and everything that I choose to do. That thought gives me a lot of strength and comfort,” Riddhima said ahead of the film’s release. The actress, who is the elder sister of Ranbir Kapoor and daughter of Neetu Kapoor, chose a career in jewellery design and fashion before pivoting to entertainment through the Netflix reality series Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives. Daadi Ki Shaadi marked her first scripted feature film, a step she acknowledged came with its own vulnerabilities.
“The biggest challenge was stepping into an entirely new world at this stage of life. There’s a certain vulnerability in starting fresh, but also a lot of excitement,” she said. Riddhima recalled that when she expressed her desire to study abroad rather than pursue acting as a young adult, Rishi Kapoor was initially worried but ultimately backed her decision. That memory, she suggested, captures who her father was: protective but trusting, concerned but never controlling. He always backed her choices, she said, regardless of whether they led toward Bollywood or away from it.
Rishi Kapoor died on April 30, 2020, at the age of 67 after a prolonged battle with leukaemia. A third-generation member of the Kapoor dynasty that has defined Hindi cinema since Prithviraj Kapoor founded Prithvi Theatres in 1944, Rishi starred in more than 90 films across a career that spanned five decades, from Bobby in 1973 to The Body in 2019. His death came just weeks after that of his close friend and fellow actor Irrfan Khan, plunging the industry into a double mourning during the first COVID-19 lockdown.
Working with her mother Neetu Kapoor on Daadi Ki Shaadi added another emotional layer. Riddhima described the experience as “incredibly special” and said she discovered that Neetu’s acting style was “effortless and instinctive.” Neetu’s advice to “stay natural and not overthink” became a guiding principle during filming. The family comedy, directed by Ashish R Mohan and co-starring Kapil Sharma and R Sarath Kumar, released in theatres on May 8 and received mixed reviews from critics, though it drew attention primarily for the mother-daughter dynamic at its centre.
Riddhima’s entry into acting extends a family line that few dynasties in world cinema can match. Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor and now Riddhima represent multiple branches of a single family tree that has produced both commercial superstars and critically acclaimed performers. Her debut at 45, however, sets her apart: unlike cousins and siblings who entered the industry in their early twenties, Riddhima arrived with a fully formed life outside cinema, which she credits with giving her perspective rather than anxiety about the competitive pressures of Indian film.
Whether Daadi Ki Shaadi leads to a sustained acting career or remains a one-off family affair, Riddhima’s interview offers something rarer than a box-office verdict: a portrait of Rishi Kapoor as a parent who understood that loving a craft and forcing it on your children are not the same thing. “He would have been proud,” she said. “Not because I entered films. Because I made a choice and followed through on it.”
