Neetu Kapoor Finally Speaks Up About Getting Back To Work After Rishi Kapoor바카라�s Demise

Rishi Kapoor's passing away has left a huge void in his wife Neetu Kapoor's life and as she recovers from the loss "slowly". The veteran actress says she has shifted her focus to work to cope with grief.

Neetu Kapoor, one of the biggest stars of the 1970s and 1980s, bid adieu to acting at the age of 21 soon after her marriage with cinema icon Raj Kapoor's son and actor Rishi Kapoor in 1980. She made some appearances in contemporary films like 바카라�Love Aaj Kal바카라�, 바카라�Do Dooni Chaar바카라� and 바카라�Besharam바카라�, but decided to return to work full time a year after Rishi Kapoor's demise in 2020.

"All these years, I was receiving loads of offers. I didn바카라�t feel like doing it because my world was busy, occupied, now my world is empty. I want to be busy. So, I am inviting work into my life,바카라� the veteran actor said.

Now that the 63-year-old actress is gearing up for the release of her film 바카라�Jug Jugg Jeeyo바카라� and the dance reality show 바카라�Dance Deewane Juniors바카라�, where she will feature as a judge, she credits her children -- actor Ranbir Kapoor and jewellery designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni -- for pushing her to keep herself "mentally occupied".

바카라�It has been a ride for me, for the whole family. There is so much support for each other. We are keeping ourselves busy. My kids told me don바카라�t sit at home, get busy. I don바카라�t want to sit and think, and be sad. I want to be busy with work, meet people. Earlier, it was all about my husband and kids,바카라� Neetu Kapoor told PTI in an interview.

Her aim is now to make the most of her time and not think about the past, said the actor, known for films like 바카라�Yaadon Ki Baaraat바카라�, 바카라�Deewaar바카라�, 바카라�Khel Khel Mein바카라� and 바카라�Kabhi Kabhie바카라�.

"Today, my heart is saying, I want to work. I want to be busy, don't want to be alone and think about the past. I want to be mentally occupied, travel, shoot, do TV shows. I don't want to sit at home," she added.

Backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, 바카라�Jug Jugg Jeyo바카라�, also starring Anil Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani, marks Neetu Kapoor's first big screen appearance after seven years. She was last seen in 바카라�Besharam바카라� (2013) opposite Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor.

The actor, who worked with her husband in popular titles such as 바카라�Kabhi Kabhie바카라�, 바카라�Khel Khel Mein바카라�, 바카라�Rafoo Chakkar바카라�, 바카라�Zinda Dil바카라� and 바카라�Amar Akbar And Anthony바카라�, said most of her movie outings in the recent past, including 바카라�Love Aaj Kal바카라� and 바카라�Do Dooni Chaar바카라�, were a favour to Rishi Kapoor.

바카라�There were films that I did with my husband and I was like a chamchi, he would say come and do it. I would not do it on my own will (apni will se kuch nahi kiya). 바카라�Jug Jugg Jeeyo바카라� is my will. I was doing (all that) trying to make my husband happy. Like, one shot in 바카라�Love Aaj Kal바카라�, then with 바카라�Do Dooni Chaar바카라� some actress didn바카라�t want to be a mother of two older children, I don바카라�t have those hang-ups. They requested and I did it. So, I was doing him a favour, not that I wanted to do," she said.

The actor said she thoroughly enjoyed working on 바카라�Jug Jugg Jeeyo바카라� as it offered her an opportunity to play a character she identified with.

바카라�I was always in bubbly roles and in almost every movie I was a pickpocket. This is serious and (has) a lot of identification with women, a strong woman. I identified with the role,바카라� she added.

Going ahead, Neetu Kapoor said she will continue to look for "exciting" parts. 바카라�Whatever I like, I do it... The role has to fascinate me, it should be something nice, exciting and different.바카라�

With Marzi Pestonji and Nora Fatehi also on the jury panel, 바카라�Dance Deewane Juniors바카라� will premiere on Colors TV channel on April 23.

[With Inputs From PTI]