The sudden passing of Rishi Kapoor who succumbed to a long battle with leukaemia at the age 67, has left a gaping hole in the hearts of friends and admirers of the spunky veteran star. 

Crowned Bollywoodâs âKing Of Romanceâ and lovingly called as Chintu Ji by his close associates within the industry, Rishi Kapoor has left behind a vibrant body of work that promises a memorable journey to his viewers.

© Twitter/taran-adars

However, the late actor couldnât finish his last project, Sharmaji Namkeen which had come as good news to his fans, who had been waiting to behold him on the silver screen as the leading man in a film once again.

Here is what we know about Rishi Kapoorâs unfinished project, Sharmaji Namkeen:

1. Sharmaji Namkeen would have starred Rishi Kapoor and Juhi Chawla in leading roles, while Gufi Paintal and Sheeba Chaddha were cast as supporting cast. 

The film was being directed by Hitesh Bhatia and produced by Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment.

© Twitter/iam-juhi

2. Reportedly, Sharmaji Namkeen is a cheerful, coming-of-age story about a loveable 60-year-old man and his take on life. Reportedly, the titular characterâs love for food was identical to Rishi Kapoorâs personal culinary weaknesses.

3. This was supposed to be Rishi Kapoorâs comeback film after the cancer hiatus, followed by Deepika Padukone starrer The Intern and Pandit Galli Ka Ali with Sanjay Dutt. 

Sharmaji Namkeen director Hitesh Bhatia revealed that he was excited to essay Robert De Niroâs role in the Bollywood remake of The Intern.

© Twitter/iam-juhi

4. Sharmaji Namkeen would have been Rishi Kapoor and Juhi Chawlaâs collaboration on a project after 10 years, since their last performance together in Luck By Chance where they played a typical fun-loving and loud married Punjabi couple.

5. The principal photography of Sharmaji Namkeen was being done in Delhi. 

Reportedly, Rishi Kapoor  had started shooting for the film by the end of 2018, even before he was diagnosed with cancer. However, the shooting had to be stopped when Rishi Kapoor fell sick while shooting and ended up moving to the US for his treatment.

© Twitter/shiwangipes

6. It is also being reported that the cast was on the final leg of filming with only a final few days of shooting left.

7. Now with Rishi Kapoorâs sudden demise, and parts of the film still left unfinished, it is being speculated that Sharmaji Namkeen will either be re-shot or shelved indefinitely.

© Twitter/msrbh

8. The shooting for the film with Juhi Chawla began in January, and reportedly, Rishi Kapoor had fallen sick even around that time. He tried his best to finish the film despite his fragile health and a family tragedy, his sister Ritu Nandaâs death.

9. The last scene for Sharmaji Namkeen that was shot before the lockdown was announced, was a car scene featuring Juhi Chawla and Rishi Kapoor.

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