Anubhav Sinha recently reflected on his collaboration with Rishi Kapoor during the making of Mulk in 2018. The director fondly recalled his experiences with the late actor, humorously referring to him as a ‘Punjabi bully’ for insisting that Sinha narrate his lines. He added, “He would randomly come to me and be like, ‘What have you written here? I don’t understand’.”

In a recent interview with Mashable India, Anubhav Sinha recounted how Rishi Kapoor enjoyed hearing scene narrations from him. Given that Rishi was a Punjabi playing a character from Benaras, he often requested Sinha to read the lines aloud. Sinha explained that he felt unable to perform with Rishi watching him closely and asked the actor, “So whenever I am narrating the scene to you, please hear me then. I don’t know more than that.” This led Rishi Kapoor to seek out opportunities to engage in discussions about various scenes.

He went on to explain, “Later, I realized, he was bullying me by making me narrate scenes and lines. He was a Punjabi bully. He would randomly come to me and be like, ‘What have you written here? I don’t understand. How do I say this line?’ And I used to be stunned. I would ask, ‘Why sir, what’s wrong?’” When he demonstrated a line, such as ‘Main tumhare bina nahi jaa sakta’, Rishi would mimic it back, humorously engaging with the dialogue. The director chuckled as he reminisced about these interactions.

In the same interview, Anubhav expressed his admiration for the legendary actor’s respectful nature. Reflecting on Rishi Kapoor’s remarkable journey, Sinha noted that Rishi was a born star, having achieved fame at the tender age of 12 as the son of Raj Kapoor. He recalled how Rishi first charmed audiences in Mera Naam Joker, yet he approached Sinha with utmost humility, asking, ‘Ji Anubhav Ji, bataiye’.

Despite Sinha’s attempts to discourage the formal address, Rishi insisted on showing respect, even referring to him as ‘Sir’. Eventually, they settled on ‘Sinha sahab’, a title that encapsulated their professional rapport.

The 2018 legal drama Mulk centers around a family struggling to exonerate themselves when a member is implicated in terrorism. Featuring a compelling narrative and powerful performances, the film also stars Taapsee Pannu, Rajat Kapoor, and Manoj Pahwa. 
Meanwhile, Anubhav Sinha’s most recent directorial venture is IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.