22nd October 2023, Mumbai: A Look at the Life and Career of Shammi Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor was an iconic Indian actor who left a lasting impression on Bollywood cinema.
Early Life:
Shammi Kapoor was born in 1931 to Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Devi in Mumbai. His father was one of the first actors from India to make it big in Hollywood movies like ‘The Thief of Baghdad’. As a child he attended St Joseph’s Convent School where he developed an interest for acting. After completing school he joined Elphinstone College but dropped out soon after due to financial constraints faced by his family.
Love Story:
In 1955 while shooting for the movie Rail Ka Dibba Shammi met actress Geeta Bali whom he fell madly in love with despite their age difference (she being 11 years older than him). They got married two months later against all odds as she already had children from her previous marriage which made things difficult for them socially at that time period . The couple went on to have a son, Aditya Raj Kappor, and a daughter Kanchan
Kapoor.
Career :
Shammi started off his film career with small roles but eventually rose up through ranks when director Nasir Hussain casted him as lead hero opposite Nutan Behl in Dil Deke Dekho(1959) which became instant hit among audience . This marked beginning of golden era for shami kapur during 1960s & 70s when most of his films did well commercially & earned critical acclaim too such as Junglee , Kashmir Ki Kali , Bramchari etc .He is also credited with introducing western style music into bollywood songs alongwith legendary composer duo Shankar Jaikishan making some memorable hits over decades including Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera or Ye Chaand Sa Roshan Chehra etc
Family:
After retirement from films shami moved back home to live with geeta bali till her death due to cancer in 1965, she passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones
Later on shami remarried Neela devyani chowdhury however they divorced few years later citing irreconcilable differences . Today both families stay connected via social media platforms sharing memories about late great star every once awhile reminding us how much impactful presence he has been throughout generations even today !
By Harsh Rathod