Tragic loss: Raj Kapoor’s three children dead in 13 months!

The last year has been difficult for everyone around the world what with the coronavirus pandemic claiming several lives and shutting everyone in their homes. However, it has been an especially harrowing time for the Kapoors, who have now been bereaved thrice within a span of 13 months. With the sudden demise of Rajiv Kapoor on Tuesday, three of Raj Kapoor’s five children have now bid adieu to the world.

The family first mourned the loss of Ritu Nanda who, at the age of 71, lost her battle against cancer on January 14, 2020. While she was never a part of the film industry, Ritu, who was married to industrialist Rajan Nanda, had established herself as a successful businesswoman and even held a world record for selling as many as 17,000 policies in a single day for her insurance company. The funeral that was held in Delhi, where she was based, was attended by Abhishek Bachchan, who stood by his niece and nephew, Navya Naveli and Agastya, grandchildren of Ritu, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Randhir Kapoor, Armaan Jain, Aadar Jain.
Rishi Kapoor, who had returned from New York in September 2019, after a year of being treated for cancer, was also present to pay his last respects to Ritu. During the prayer meet, held to commemorate her, Rishi had remembered his sister, saying that it would've been her 51st wedding anniversary in two weeks and that maybe she had decided to spend it with her late husband, who had passed away in 2018.
However, even as the family was trying to cope with the loss, they were yet again jolted by Rishi’s death on April 30, 2020. The actor, who had once been admitted to a hospital in Delhi, after his return to the country, was rushed to the hospital amidst the pandemic when he complained of difficulty in breathing. But just a day later, the actor breathed his last. The funeral at the Chandanwadi crematorium was attended only by close friends and family members given the social distancing restrictions imposed at the time. However, social media was flooded with condolence tweets from the fraternity and fans.
The 58-year-old actor-turned-filmmaker Rajiv, who was present for his younger brother’s funeral, passed away today, on February 9, after suffering a massive heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The news has come as a huge shock not only to the industry but also to the family. While a distraught elder brother Randhir Kapoor broke down at the hospital, other members took to social media to express their shock and grief before rushing to pay their last respect.
Ritu, Rishi, and Rajiv’s deaths follow the demise of their mother Krishna Raj Kapoor on October 1, 2018, due to a heart attack.