Hindi cinema veteran Neetu Kapoor has shared a candid account of the emotional turmoil she faced following the death of her husband, the legendary actor Rishi Kapoor. Speaking on a podcast hosted by Soha Ali Khan alongside her daughter, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Neetu revealed the ‘darkest phase’ of her life, which included a struggle with alcohol and chronic insomnia.
Rishi passed away in April 2020 after a two-year battle with leukaemia, leaving Neetu devastated after 40 years of marriage. The actor confessed that the void left by his departure led her into a difficult cycle. “When he passed away, for two or three months, I could not sleep. And I got into drinking,” she admitted. “I started drinking, and then I could not sleep without it. I just needed to numb my head.”
Despite the depth of her grief, Neetu’s health-conscious nature eventually pushed her to seek medical intervention. She recalled calling her doctor for help, leading to a ten-day period of supervised care to break the habit and restore her sleep patterns.
The actress also talked about her perspective regarding mental health assistance. While her friends recommended her to take professional help, she said that she had problems connecting to the therapy sessions. According to Neetu, one’s self-will can prove to be the best catalyst for change. In her opinion, professional intervention would bear fruit only when a person begins to help himself or herself.
To restore her confidence, Neetu decided to join the movie sets, where she starred in Jugjugg Jeeyo. Although she has acted in 70 films, the actress called herself a ‘nervous wreck’ and said that she shivers before each shot. While facing criticism for joining movie sets just after her husband’s demise, Neetu claims that acting helped her to deal with grief.
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