Padmini Kolhapure:I feel unfortunate today that I can’t go and see Rishi Kapoor for the one last time

Padmini Kolhapure could barely believe her ears when she heard that Rishi Kapoor was hospitalised. Word reached her on Wednesday evening and she woke up to the news of his demise this morning. The actress who was worked with Rishi in several films including

Prem Rog

, one of her earliest outings as a mainstream outings, told BT, "I’m shocked with this news. I can’t believe it that he is no more. Words fall short to describe the kind of friendship we had. I was an admirer of his work and then, I got a chance to work with him in several films in my career. He was a fighter and the way things were going, we were quite sure he would bounce back completely. One of my last conversations with him was soon after he returned to India last year and he was so happy to get back home."

Recalling the time when she worked with Rishi,

Padmni

said, "Today, I fondly remember the first time I met him, I was working on

Satyam Shivam Sundaram

. A few years later, we were cast as a pair in Prem Rog. I was a bundle of nerves on day one of shoot. He comforted me and slowly and steadily, we became friends. Working with him was a dream come true for me. I admired him from the time I saw his first film, Bobby. It’s very strange but I was watching Prem Rog just two days ago and thinking of the times that I worked with Rishi and the amount that I learnt by working with him. There were times when we would spend 20-25 days in a month working together across shifts on different films. And I feel unfortunate today that I can’t go and see him for the one last time."