Shammi Kapoor

Introduction

Shamsher Raj Prithviraj Kapoor, better known as Shammi Kapoor, was a well-known Indian movie director and actor who gained fame through his filmmaking and acting skills. Born to the Kapoor family in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, on 21 October 1931, he was raised in a renowned family. Prithviraj Kapoor, the father of Shammi Kapoor, was a pioneer in Hindi Cinema and founded the great Kapoor family.

Personal Details

Name: Shamsher Raj Kapoor

Height: 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)

Born Date: 21 October 1931

Birth Place: Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)

Died: 14 August 2011

Reason for Death: kidney failure

Nicknames: Elvis Presley of India

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Occupations: Actor, Director

First movie: Jeewan Jyoti

Total Films: 109

Net Worth: 35 crores - 40 crores

Date of Death: 14 August 2011

Years active: 1953-2011

Spouses: Geeta Bali (born 1955; died 1965), Neela Devi Gohil (born 1969)

Children: Aditya Raj Kapoor and Kanchan Kapoor

Parents: Prithviraj Kapoor Ramsarni Kapoor

Family: Kapoor family

Early Life

• Shamsher Raj Kapoor was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) as the son of Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsharni Mehra Kapoor.
• Shammi was Prithviraj's second son (the other two being prominent Hindi cinema stars Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor).
• He is actor Trilok Kapoor's nephew. Surinder Kapoor, a producer and director, was his father's cousin.
• His nephews are actors Randhir and Rishi. Ranbir is his grandnephew, whereas Karisma and Kareena are his great-nieces.
• He had his Montessori education and kindergarten in Kolkata.
• When he returned to Bombay, he initially attended St. Joseph's Convent (Wadala) and later Don Bosco School.
• He decided to pursue acting as a passion while he was there, demonstrating the passion he had developed during his time there.
• He completed his matriculation at New Era School on Hughes Road.
• He attended Ramnarain Rula College for a short time before joining his father's company.
• He made his film debut in 1948, working as a junior performer and making Rs. 50 a month.

Career

Jeewan Jyoti (1953)

Following his arrival in Bollywood, he starred in the film 'Jeewan Jyoti' in 1953, but his commercial breakthrough 'Jeewan Jyoti' was a letdown. Mahesh Kaul directed the movie. In movie, it was Shammi kapoor's debut actor, and Bollywood legend Chand Usmani played the role of the lead character.

Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957)

Starring Nasir Husain opposite Ameeta marked his breakthrough film release, which also marked his breakthrough in filmmaking. Later on, he collaborated with Asha Parekh in the hit film 'Dil Deke Dekho (1959), which also had a positive reception. Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh's comeback on the screen was impressive, as they now became a popular name.

Dil Deke Dekho (1959)

These films were popular in the late fifties. Nasir Hussain directed Dil Deke Dekho. Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh played the key roles. Asha made her debut in this film at the age of 16. This film seemed similar to the director's first but included multiple storyline twists. Asha portrays a wealthy heiress who three men court, but she falls for the most attractive of them all, Shammi Kapoor. The plot unfolds as Asha discovers that Shammi is not what he appears to be, with a dust of misidentified identities.

Junglee (1961)

His debut color film was released in 1961, marking his first color film in the same year. This blockbuster hit movie made Shammi Kapoor a recognizable personality. In addition, he took the character with him into real life because he loved to live a not-so-typical lifestyle. Subodh Mukherjee directed the film.

Professor (1962)

Lekh Tandon directed the film. Shammi Kapoor and Lalita Pawar star in the film. Shammi Kapoor plays an old professor in this comedy-drama to get a job as a teacher for Lalita Pawar's daughter, who needs a teacher above the age of 50. The story turns as Shammi Kapoor falls in love with his student.

Shammi Kapoor's Awards

• 2008 - Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1998 - Kalakar Awards
• 1968 - Won Filmfare Awards
• 1982 - Won Filmfare Awards
• 1995 - Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2002 - Won IIFA Awards
• 2005 - Won Bollywood Movie Awards
• 1999 - Won Zee Cine Award
• 2001 - Won Star Screen Award

He didn't gain much popularity from the audience for his TV show and became a star after the commercials of 'Tumsa Nahin Dekha' (1957), 'Ujala' (1957) and 'Dil Dekho' (1959).

Shammi Kapoor's popularity in films during the 1960s, with notable movie titles including-

• College Girl (1960)
• Basant (1960s)
• Singapore (1961)
• Boy Friend (1961)
• Professor (1964)
• Dil Tera Diwana
• Vallah Kya Baat Hai (the first comedy in Bollywood history).
• 'Brahmachari,' the actor received the first Filmfare Best Actor Award of his career, even though he had been nominated before.

His dancing prowess made him the sole idol of his generation, and he was widely recognized as the only hero of his era. He honed his dance moves and never required a dancer to be on the sets. Mohammed Rafi's voice was mainly heard in his songs, mostly his songs that were virtuoso for him. Magic was instilled in the songs by the duo.

Personal life

In 1955, Shammi Kapoor met actress Geeta Bali. They met while making Rangeen Raaten, in which he was the main character, and she had a cameo. Four months later, both of them married in Mumbai's Banganga Temple on Malabar Hills. Their son (Aditya Raj Kapoor), born on 1 July 1956, was born at Shirodkar's Hospital in Mumbai. Five years later, in 1961, they brought their daughter Kanchan into the world. Geeta Bali died on 21 January 1965, at the age of 35, from smallpox, on 27 January 1969. After four years, Shammi Kapoor married Neila Devi, a former member of the Bhavnagar royal family in Gujarat, who became his second wife.

Interesting Facts about Shammi Kapoor

• He was from a Pathan Hindu family.
• His brother Devi died from illness (pneumonia) in 1931, and another brother, Nandi, died the same year from poison.
• He began working as a minor artist in his father's theater company in 1948, earning ₹50 per month.
• During the filming of 'Rangeen Raaten' in 1955, he met his future wife, Geeta Bali.
• In 1965, his wife, Geeta Bali died due to smallpox.
• During the filming of Brahmachari in 1968, he developed feelings for Indian film actress Mumtaz. He proposed to her for marriage, but she respectfully declined as he requested that she quit her acting career.
• He was Salma Agha's (an actress-singer) niece and Jugal Kishore Mehra's (a singer) cousin.
• He was the sole glamorous dance hero in the Hindi cinema industry from the 1950s to the early 1970s, and he received the nickname "Elvis Presley of India" because he developed the dancing moves for the songs in which he starred.
• He was a devoted follower of Uttarakhand's Haidakhan Babaji.
• Amitabh Bachchan was his closest friend in the film industry.
• He performed in over 50 films as a main performer and over 20 films as a supporting actor.
• The movie Rockstar, directed by Imtiaz Ali, was his last film in which he performed.
• Shammi Kapoor, who founded and directed the IUCI, was a pioneer of the Internet and also played a key role in establishing Internet groups such as the Ethical Hackers Association.

Death

Chronic renal failure caused Shammi Kapoor to be hospitalized at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital on 7 August 2011, which ultimately resulted in him being saved. Shammi Kapoor, who suffered the loss of his battle with chronic renal failure and died at 5:15 am IST on 14 August 2011, at the age of 79.

His funeral took place on Monday, 15 August, at the Banganga cremation ground in Malabar, Mumbai. Aditya Raj Kapoor, the son of the actor, enlisted the help of his family members, Shashi Kapoor, Krishna Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Babita, Karisma, Kareena Kapoor, and Randhir Kapoor, to conduct the cremation rites in front of their family. In memory of Shammi Kapoor, a bronze monument has been erected at Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai's Walk of Stars.

Conclusion

Shammi Kapoor's life was a vibrant tapestry built with love, determination, and an unbreakable spirit. From his early difficulties making a name for himself in the film industry to his rise to prominence as the "Elvis Presley of India," Shammi Kapoor's story is one of tenacity and pursuing one's goals. Beyond the showiness and glitz, Shammi Kapoor's private life revealed the highs and lows of a guy who was committed to both his relationships and his work.

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