Nutritionist Khyati Rupani says Rishi Kapoor was an unhappy client in hospital: 'Neetu would say, 'Inko gulab jamun kyun diya?''

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor was known for his love of good food and drink, but his time in hospital during treatment for leukaemia was quite challenging due to its strictly vegetarian diet policy. Nutritionist Khyati Rupani, who managed his diet during his hospital stay, recently revealed that the late actor was often displeased with the food restrictions.

In a conversation with Ronak Kotecha on his YouTube channel, Khyati spoke about her experiences with various clients, mentioning that while some were cooperative, others could be difficult. Referring to Rishi Kapoor, she recalled, “Mr Rishi Kapoor was somebody who hated his food being restricted, and Mrs Neetu was always saying, ‘Don’t give him this. Why did you give him gulab jamun?’”
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She further elaborated on the challenges of catering to Kapoor’s preferences, explaining that the hospital maintains a purely vegetarian menu, even excluding eggs. “He was a non-vegetarian. Lilavati is a vegetarian hospital… So yes, he was one of the very unhappy clients. I tried everything, but I think he remained irritated throughout,” she shared.

Rishi Kapoor’s love for rich and indulgent meals was well-known, and his son, Ranbir Kapoor, has previously acknowledged inheriting his father’s foodie tendencies. However, Ranbir credited his mother, Neetu Kapoor, for instilling discipline in his eating habits while speaking at the International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Rishi Kapoor battled leukaemia for two years and passed away on April 30, 2020, at the age of 67. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2018 and went to New York City for treatment. He later returned to India the following year, but in 2020, due to breathing difficulties and a recurrence of leukaemia, he was hospitalised again.