Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor goes Khullam Khulla with his autobiography

The actor, whose Twitter bio reads "Son of a famous father. Father of a famous son. I am the hyphen between them,"  is equally famous for his no holds barred comments, ranging from the Nehru-Gandhi family to social media trolls commenting on Taimur Khan.

Few actors in Hindi cinema have had this sort of a career arc: from the gawky adolescent pining for his schoolteacher (Mera Naam Joker, 1970) to the naughty ninety-year-old (Kapoor and Sons, 2016), Rishi Kapoor has regaled audiences for close to fifty years.

He won a National Award on his debut, became an overnight sensation with his first film as a leading man (Bobby, 1973), and carved a niche for himself with a string of romantic musical blockbusters in an era known for its angst-ridden films.

He was the youth icon who is still the toast of the satellite TV circuit. The songs he lip-synced are the bread and butter of all radio stations even today.

Then there was the second coming after a brief hiatus in the 1990s – as one of the finest actors in mainstream Hindi cinema with powerhouse performances in films like Do Dooni Chaar, D-Day, Agneepath and others.

Characteristically candid, Rishi Kapoor brings Punjabi bio to the writing of Khullam Khulla. This is as up close and personal a biography as any fan could have hoped for. He writes about growing up in the shadow of a legendary father, skipping school to act in Mera Naam Joker, the workings of the musical hits of the era, his streak of rotten luck with awards, an encounter with Dawood Ibrahim, his heroines (their working relationship, the gossip and the frisson that was sometimes real), his approach to his craft, his tryst with clinical depression, and more.

A heart-warming afterword by Neetu Singh rounds off  a truly candid and 'dil se' autobiography by the star who was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

(Reporting by Tanushree Sen, Image by Subhodeep Sardar)