Poonam Dhillon and Rishi Kapoor were a popular pair of the eighties. They starred together in around 10 films, notably Sitamgar, Yeh Vaada Raha, Zamana, Biwi O Biwi, Ek Chadar Maili Si, and Tawaif. The actress looks back at working with the late Rishi Kapoor, and is too shocked to express her grief.

It is difficult at this moment for me to even talk about Rishi. It is very painful to talk about him in the past tense. So many images of him are coming in my mind.

Devastated !!! Rishi kapoor gone !! What terrible news today!! No words to express. My heart breaking for Neetu, Ranbir, Riddhima ,Daboo, Chimpu & Rima !!

— Poonam Dhillon 🇮🇳 à©´ (@poonamdhillon) April 30, 2020

He really was one of my favourite actors. Over the years people would ask me which co-star have you been a fan of or admired. I have always said Rishi Kapoor and Kamal Haasan. They are my two co-stars from whom I have really learnt a lot. I have been a grear fan of both of them.

Rishi really is one of the finest, most effortless and natural actors we had. All through his life he had this romantic and loverboy image. But the variety of roles he did -- whether it is playing a villain or a bad guy or an old man, any kind of role, put him in any role and he would shine in it. He really was a complete actor and I think the most shining star of the Kapoor family.

We have done quite a number of films together. Anywhere in the world I have traveled to, people would tell me "Yah vaada raha" is one of their favourite songs. People would even convey the same on Insta and Twitter. It has been an immortal creation of R D Burman featuring Rishi Kapoor and myself.

As a person, he was somebody with an amazing sense of humour. He would always reply to texts or WhatsApp messages with something whacky or funny. He was a person who had a zest for life. He was full of life. He enjoyed everything from his work to even being on Twitter! Sometimes he wrote very meaningful and great comments (on social media).

He really lived his life to the fullest. I just wish he had not gone so soon. He still had a lots to do. It is very sad.

When I last met him, he was looking so good and nice. We would text each other on occasions like birthdays, Diwali, New Year and other festivals. I had recently sent him a message wishing him good health. Today, I am going through my old messages with him, our conversations.

It is not an easy time to talk about him like this but he is really a person I would miss as a friend, as a co-star. I would sometimes jump into him asking why are we not doing any film together and we would have a banter about it. He would sometimes say, maine ek do film ki, achha role tha, mujhe laga tu karegi nahi!

I don't think he was ready to go. I don't think this is the perfect time. It must be so very traumatic for his children Riddhima and Ranbir. I can't imagine what his entire family must eb going through. Unfortunately, this is such a time that I can't even go and meet his family, share their grief and pay my last respect to him. I am sitting alone at home and thinking about him.

He will always be immortal. He has given such a fantastic body of work. He was outstanding in every role. I wish I could spend some more time with him after he came back from New York. When I met him a few months ago, he told me tu ghar nahi ayee mujhse milne ke liye! He was an old friend and we could tell each other things as it is! I regret not meeting him recently. God bless him and his family. He was a tremendous actor and will always be remembered for his roles!

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I have lost count of the number of films I did with Rishi Kapoor, especially in the early '80s. There were movies like Biwi-O-Biwi (1981), Tawaif (1985), Sitamgar (1985), Zamana (1985), Ek Chadar Maili Si (1986), Dosti Dushmani (1986) and many more.

I was a newbie then, but he was willing to work with fresh faces. At that time, he was the only star who had no qualms about teaming up with novices. I would tell him that he deserved to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for collaborating with the maximum number of new heroines. He could rattle off names [of all those he worked with], and would often wonder where some of them disappeared.

He was a natural and spontaneous actor, one who would laugh and fool around with the unit off camera, but instantly [transform] into the character when [we] rolled.

You could see the passion in his eyes as he enacted scenes.

Like all Kapoors, he too loved his food. The most distinct memory I have is going to RK Studios and [enjoying] the lavish spread and hospitality of the Kapoors.

I was in touch with him even when he was in the US for treatment. If I messaged him late at night, he would wonder why I was awake at that unearthly hour. Former minister Arun Jaitley, who passed away last year, was also seeking the same treatment at the same hospital in New York. As I also knew him, Rishi would often tell me that he would invite Jaitley to his home for a meal.

When he came back, we caught up with each other. He was not pretentious. He would not hide that he loved his drink. His wife Neetu would ensure that he had healthy meals, but, as soon as she would leave the room, he would quickly take a bite of [the food he was forbidden from eating]. He was childlike.

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The actress has been posting pictures of herself in films with Bollywood's greatest heroes, and has an interesting thing to say about each.