He will always be around for all of us: Dharmendra on Rishi Kapoor

Veteran actor Dharmendra said he is unable to come to terms that his co-star of many films and a dear friend, Rishi Kapoor, is no more.

Kapoor, who acted in over 150 films during his five decade long career, died on Thursday at HN Reliance hospital here after a two year long battle with leukaemia.

The 67-year-old actor was crematedat the Chandanwadi crematorium in the evening.

Dharmendra, who starred with Kapoor in movies such as "Sitamgar", "Katilon Ke Kaatil", "Hathyar" and "Sher Dil", said their bond was beyond films.

"After he was unwell I did call him a few times I felt bad that I couldn't meet him in person. I feel it was just now that I called to check on his health. I feel I can see him and he is doing fine," he told PTI.

"I will remember him in a way that I will never forget him. I can never forget him, he will always be there for me, for all of us, in our conversations and even when I will meet his family, he will be there (around)," he said.

The 84-year-old actor said he used consider Kapoor like a son, just like Sunny and Bobby Deol.

"He was a very jovial person. He was like a son to me. We were friends but he would listen to me and respect me a lot. Like how it is with (my sons) Sunny and Bobby.

"There was a film called 'Naukar Biwi Ka', in which he did a guest role. He did it because I had told him to do it and he didn't charge any money for it," he said.

Dharmendra said he is deeply saddened by the back-to-back untimely demise of two stalwarts of Indian cinema, Kapoor and actor Irrfan Khan, who died on Wednesday.

"Since yesterday, there is weird silence, a void that I can feel first with the passing away of Irrfan Khan and now Kapoor. I am deeply saddened.

"Both fought a long and tough battle with cancer. I was hoping they would both be fine. They both are fantastic actors. They had started working again in a way and suddenly they left us. It is shocking.