Neetu Singh

Neetu Kapoor (née Singh; born Harneet Kaur; 8 July 1958<ref name="filmfare1"/>) is an Indian actress who is known for appearing in Hindi films throughout the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. In 2012, Kapoor was inducted into the Walk of the Stars, an entertainment hall of fame at Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai.<ref name="Neetu k">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She is the recipient of several accolades, including two Filmfare Award nominations.

Kapoor made her debut in the swashbuckler film Suraj (1966) and thereafter played a dual role in the romantic comedy Do Kaliyaan (1968). She began her transition to mature roles with the vigilante film Rickshawala (1973) and had her breakthrough with Nasir Hussain's masala film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), where she appeared as a dancer. She rose to prominence with roles in the crime drama film Deewaar (1975), the thriller film Khel Khel Mein (1975), the musical film Kabhi Kabhie (1976), the masala film Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and the fantasy film Dharam Veer (1977). Her performances in the crime drama film Parvarish (1977), the horror film Jaani Dushman (1979), the disaster film Kaala Patthar (1979) and the musical film Yaarana (1981) were praised, and for Kaala Patthar, she was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1980, she married actor Rishi Kapoor, with whom she had two children, including the actor Ranbir Kapoor. She went on a hiatus after appearing in the thriller film Ganga Meri Maa (1983). Nearly three decades later, she made her acting comeback with a minor role in the romantic comedy Love Aaj Kal (2009). She has since led the comedy film Do Dooni Chaar (2010) which won her a Zee Cine Award, the action film Besharam (2013), made a guest appearance in the romantic drama Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and starred in the film Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022), which earned her another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Early life

Neetu Singh was born on 8 July 1958, as Harneet Kaur in New Delhi to Punjabi Sikh parents, Darshan Singh and Rajee Kaur Singh.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She began acting as a child artist shortly after her father's death.<ref name="filmfare1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

File:Neetu Singh,Shatrughan Sinha returns from IIFA 2012 04.jpg

Kapoor with Shatrughan Sinha at IIFA Awards in 2012

Singh entered films as an uncredited child artist in Suraj (1966) starring Vyjayanthimala and Rajendra Kumar. This was followed by appearances in other top-grossing films like Dus Lakh (1966), Do Kaliyaan (1968), Waris (1969), and Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1970). She was particularly appreciated for playing the double role of twin sisters in Do Kaliyaan.<ref name="filmfare1"/> In most of these films, she was credited as Baby Sonia.

In 1973, she played her first lead role in Rickshawala opposite Randhir Kapoor. The film was a remake of the Tamil film Rickshawkaran (1971), but failed to match the success of this film. Later that year, however, Singh garnered mainstream attention for her appearance in a popular song "Lekar Hum Deewana Dil" from Nasir Hussain's blockbuster film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973).

The romantic films Rafoo Chakkar (1975) and Khel Khel Mein (1975) established her and Rishi Kapoor as a popular on-screen pair, and they were subsequently cast in several more films together. Khel Khel Mein in particular was propelled by the success of R.D. Burman's soundtrack. She gained further commercial success in Shankar Dada (1976) opposite Shashi Kapoor and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1976) opposite Rajesh Khanna.

Her two most prominent films in this time period were Deewaar (1975) and Kabhi Kabhie (1976), both ensemble films directed by leading filmmaker Yash Chopra. In the action drama Deewaar, she played the vivacious love interest to Shashi Kapoor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ensemble musical romantic drama Kabhi Kabhie, which featured her as an adoptee determined to find her birth mother, was one of the most acclaimed films of that time and continues to be remembered today for its soundtrack by Khayyam and Sahir Ludhianvi.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Singh's most successful release of 1977 was Amar Akbar Anthony, directed by veteran filmmaker Manmohan Desai, in which she played a young doctor in love with a singer played by Rishi Kapoor. In the same year, Desai also cast her in the adventure film Dharam Veer opposite Jeetendra and the crime drama Parvarish opposite Amitabh Bachchan. All three of these films ranked among the top five highest-grossing films of the year, with Amar Akbar Anthony taking the top spot.Template:Citation needed

For the next few years, Singh achieved success as the solo female lead in films like Priyatama (1977), Maha Badmaash (1977), Dhongee (1979), and Chorni (1982). She was also featured in a number of popular ensemble films like Adalat (1977), Kasme Vaade (1978), Jaani Dushman (1979), Kaala Patthar (1979), The Burning Train (1980), Yaarana (1981), and Teesri Aankh (1982). In these films, her most successful associations were with actors like Jeetendra, Amitabh Bachchan, and Randhir Kapoor. For Yash Chopra's Kaala Patthar, she earned her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.Template:Citation needed

After her marriage in 1980, she retired from acting. Her last film to be released was Ganga Meri Maa (1983).

After a 25-year hiatus, Singh made her comeback with a cameo appearance in Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy-drama Love Aaj Kal (2009), opposite her husband as the older version of his love interest in the film.

Singh's first lead role post-retirement was that of a middle-class Punjabi mother in Habib Faisal's Do Dooni Chaar (2010), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. She then made a special appearance in Yash Chopra's swan song Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), and also co-starred with her son Ranbir Kapoor in the comedy Besharam (2013). After 9 years, she ended her hiatus by starring opposite Anil Kapoor in Jug Jugg Jeeyo. Her performance earned her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life

File:Rishi Kapoor & Neetu Singh at Rakesh Roshan’s birthday bash.jpg

Kapoor with her husband Rishi Kapoor in 2017

During production of the film Kabhie Kabhie, Singh and actor Rishi Kapoor became romantically involved off-screen. The pair married on 22 January 1980. Their children are Riddhima Kapoor Sahni (born 15 September 1980) and Ranbir Kapoor (born 28 September 1982). Riddhima is a fashion designer who married Delhi-based industrialist Bharat Sahni on 25 January 2006. Their daughter is Samara Sahni (born 23 March 2011).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ranbir is an Indian actor who married actress Alia Bhatt on 14 April 2022. Their daughter is Raha Kapoor (born 6 November 2022).

Following a recurring battle with leukemia and treatment in New York City, Rishi Kapoor died on 30 April 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:URL|url}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:URL with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y | 1 | 2 }}</ref> During the filming of Jug Jugg Jeeyo, she tested positive for COVID-19 in Chandigarh in December 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, she recovered after an isolation period, returning to the film's sets in early January 2021.

Legacy

File:Ranbir with family on Jhalak.jpg

Singh with husband Rishi and son Ranbir

Singh is regarded as one of the most recognised actresses of Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2022, she was placed in Outlook IndiaTemplate:'s "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> One of the highest paid actress of late 1970s, Singh appeared in Box Office IndiaTemplate:'s "Top Actresses" list 1975 and 1977.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She was inducted into the Walk of the Stars, at Bandra Bandstand, where her hand print was preserved under her married name Neetu Kapoor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1966	Suraj	Young Geeta	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Dus Lakh		Credited as Baby Sonia
1968	Do Dooni Char	Ban Devi	Credited as Baby Sonia
	Do Kaliyaan	Ganga/Jamuna	Credited as Baby Sonia; Dual role
1969	Waris	Baby	Credited as Baby Sonia
1970	Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani	Roopa	Credited as Baby Sonia
	Pavitra Paapi	Vidya	Credited as Baby Sonia
1973	Rickshawala	Kiran	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Yaadon Ki Baaraat	Dancer	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1974	Shatranj Ke Mohre		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Aashiana
	Zehreela Insaan	Margaret
	Hawas	Neetu
1975	Khel Khel Mein	Nisha
	Rafoo Chakkar	Ritu
	Zinda Dil	Jyoti Chand
	Deewaar	Veera Narang
	Sewak	Rasiya
1976	Sharafat Chod Di Maine	Radha
	Shankar Dada	Roopa Verma
	Kabhie Kabhie	Pinky Kapoor
	lang}}	Neetu
	Bhala Manus	Meena
1977	Aadalat	Geeta Verma
	Dharam Veer	Roopa
	Amar Akbar Anthony	Dr. Salma Ali
	Parvarish	Neetu
	Doosra Aadmi	Timsi
	Dhongee	Neelima
	Maha Badmaash	Seema/Pinky	Dual role
	Ab Kya Hoga	Chitralekha
	Priyatama	Dolly
	Andolan
1978	Kasme Vaade	Neeta
	Heeralal Pannalal	Neelam
	Anjane Mein	Rani
	Chakravyuha	Chhaya
1979	Jhoota Kahin Ka	Anita Verma/Sheetal Khanna
	The Great Gambler	Mala
	Aatish	Shanno
	Kaala Patthar	Channo Singh
	Yuvraj	Pallavi
	Duniya Meri Jeb Mein	Neeta
	Jaani Dushman	Gauri
	Zahreeleey
1980	Chunaoti	Roshni
	The Burning Train	Madhu
	Dhan Daulat	Shanti
	Choron Ki Baaraat	Anju
1981	Ek Aur Ek Gyarah
	Khoon Ka Rishta	Sonia
	Yaarana	Komal
	Waqt Ki Deewar	Soni
1982	Chorni	Deepa
	Raaj Mahal	Rajkumari Ratna
	Teesri Aankh	Nisha
1983	Ganga Meri Maa	Neetu
	Jaane Jaan	Meena
2009	Love Aaj Kal	Older Harleen Kaur	Cameo
2010	Do Dooni Chaar	Kusum Duggal
2012	Jab Tak Hai Jaan	Pooja	Cameo
2013	Besharam	Head Constable Bulbul Chautala
2022	Jugjugg Jeeyo	Geeta Saini	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TBA	Letters to Mr Khanna Template:Dagger	Template:TableTBA	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2022	Dance Deewane Juniors	Judge	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2024	Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives	Herself	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref
1980	Filmfare Awards	Best Supporting Actress	Kaala Patthar	Template:Nom	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2011	Screen Awards	Best Actress	Do Dooni Chaar	Template:Nom	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Stardust Awards	Best Actress		Template:Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Zee Cine Awards	Best Lifetime Jodi (with Rishi Kapoor)	Template:N/A	Template:Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2023	Filmfare Awards	Best Supporting Actress	Jugjugg Jeeyo	Template:Nom	<ref name=":0" />

In popular culture

• In Aditya Chopra's 2008 film Rab Ne Bana Di JodiTemplate:'s song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte", Rani Mukerji dressed herself as Singh, as a tribute to her fashionable pigtails look from the 1980s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

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