Bollywood Star Rishi Kapoor's final journey

Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor’s funeral rites were held in Mumbai in the presence of his immediate family members and close friends today (30)

With India currently under lockdown, the Kapoor family issued a statement to urge fans not to publicly gather to pay their respects to Kapoor as is the tradition in the country.

Rishi Kapoor's last rites were held at the Chandanwadi crematorium in Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, attended by family and a handful of close friends.

Actress-wife Neetu Singh, son Ranbir Kapoor, his girlfriend Alia Bhatt, niece Kareena, her husband Alia Bhatt, actor Abhishek Bachchan and director Ayan Mukerji, who is a close friend of Ranbir, attended the funeral rites wearing masks. Leading businessman Anil Ambani and filmmaker Ayan Mukerji, who is Ranbir's closest friend, also visit the hospital and attend the funeral despite the lockdown in India

Abhishek Bachchan represented his family at the funeral - his father Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor co-starred in films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, Kabhi Kabhie. 

Kapoor, part of a famous Bollywood family, was admitted to the HM Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday and died on Thursday, according to a family statement. He battled cancer for the last two years. 

The Kapoor family hailed from Peshawar in modern-day Pakistan, and migrated to India after Partition in 1947.

Rishi Kapoor's grandfather ran a prominent theatre company. His father Raj Kapoor was regarded as one of the greatest actors and directors in Bollywood. He was also called the "showman of Indian cinema". Kapoor began acting as a teenager and received the National Film Award for his debut role as a child artist in his father’s 1970 film Mera Naam Joker. However, he made his debut as a lead in Bobby, a 1973 teenage romance conquering the class divide.

He went on to act in more than 90 films, often as the romantic lead, and became well known for his talents in singing and dancing. In one of Bollywood’s most legendary off-screen love stories, he ended up marrying Nitu Singh, who had co-starred as his love interest in several films. Their son Ranbir Kapoor is now also a current top Bollywood actor.

Kapoor's death followed that on Wednesday of Indian actor, Irrfan Khan , 53, who had roles in films such as "Life of Pi" and "Jurassic Park", and had also suffered from cancer.