Death Of A Legendary Bollywood Actor - The Great Shammi Kapoor

 Shammi Kapoor (born Shamsher Raj Kapoor; 21 October 1931 – 14 August 2011) was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s.

Shammi Kapoor was hailed as one of the finest actors that Hindi cinema had ever produced. Extremely versatile as an actor, he was one of the leading stars of Hindi cinema during the late 1950s, the 1960s and early 70's. He debuted in Bollywood in 1953 with the film Jeevan Jyoti, and went on to deliver hits like Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee, Dil Tera Diwana, Professor, China Town, Rajkumar, Kashmir Ki Kali, Janwar, Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Bramhachari, and Andaz and Vidhaata. He received the Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1968 for his performance in Brahmachari and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Vidhaata in 1982.


He was given the name Shamsher Raj Kapoor at his birth in Mumbai to film and theatre actor Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Mehra, Shammi was the second of the three sons born to Prithviraj (the other two being Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor), both of whom were, like their father, successful Bollywood actors. Though born in Mumbai, he spent a major portion of his childhood in Kolkata, where his father was involved with New Theatres Studios, acting in films. It was in Kolkata that he did his Montessory and Kindergarten. After coming back to Mumbai, he first went to St. Joseph's Convent (Wadala) and then, to Don Bosco School. Shammi Kapoor finished his schooling from New Era School, at Hughes Road.
Shammi Kapoor had a short stint at Ruia College, in Matunga, Mumbai, after which he joined his father’s theatrical company "Prithvi Theatres". He entered the cinema world in 1948, as a junior artiste, at a salary of Rs. 150 per month, stayed with Prithvi Theatres for the next four years and collected his last paycheck, Rs. 300, in 1952. He made his debut in Bollywood in the year 1953, when the film Jeevan Jyoti was released. It was directed by Mr. Mahesh Kaul and Chand Usmani was Kapoor’s first heroine.



Kapoor started out with serious roles but with Filmistan's Nasir Hussain directed Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957) opposite Ameeta and Dil Deke Dekho (1959) with Asha Parekh, he attained the image of a light-hearted, stylish playboy. Tall, athletic, lively, fair complexioned, green-eyed and with handsome features, Shammi was a heartthrob, and his good looks and physique complemented his image. Both the films were debut films of the respective actresses Ameeta and Asha Parekh and both went on to be big hits and are regarded as classics.

With Junglee (1961) his new image was cemented and his subsequent films were all in this genre. He particularly chose Mohammed Rafi as his playback voice. Though in his early career he had often played second fiddle to established heroines like Madhubala in films such as Rail Ka Dibba (1953) and Naqab and opposite Suraiya in Shama Parwana, producers after 1960 apart from the actresses from southern India, loved pairing Shammi with new heroines, three of them became huge stars in their own right in Hindi films: Asha Parekh, Saira Banu, and Sharmila Tagore.^[4] Of all his heroines, he said that Sharmila Tagore, Rajshree, and Asha Parekh were easy to work with.^[5] He and Asha Parekh were paired together in four films, the most successful being the murder mystery Teesri Manzil (1966) and romantic film Jawan Mohabbat.

In the early fifties he accepted serious roles in women oriented films like Shama Parwana (1954), comedy flick Mem Sahib (1956) and thrillers like Miss Coca Cola (1956) and Chor Bazar (1954), which were all successful at box office and in tragic love story Mirza Sahiban (1957) (a box office flop), but did not gain recognition and fame among the masses. Other than the above hits, he had fifteen films as flops to his credit till 1957. The other hits in late fifties included Mujrim(1958), Char Dil Char Rahen, Raat Ke Raahi (1959).His performances in K A Abbas' Char Dil Char Raahein (1959) and Kidar Sharma's Rangeen Raatein (1956) were also noteworthy but remained underfeted. It was only after triple success of Tumsa Nahi Dekha (1957), Ujala and Dil Dil Deke Deko (both 1959), that he became popular with the audience and became a star. In the first half of the 1960s, Kapoor was seen in successful films like College Girl, Basant, Singapore, Boy Friend, Professor, Dil Tera Diwana, Vallah Kya Baat Hai, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, China Town, Kashmir Ki Kali, Bluff Master, Janwar and Rajkumar. Although nominated before, in 1968, he received the first Filmfare Best Actor award of his career for the film Bramhachari.
His pairing opposite Southern heroines were always a success at the box office. He delivered hits opposite B. Saroja Devi like Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya and Preet Na Jane Reet, with Padmini gave Singapore (1960 film), opposite Vyjayanthimala had hits like College Girl and Prince (1969 film). In the sixties his successful run continued untill new romantic incon Rajesh Khanna entered the scene in 1969.^[7]Sharmila Tagore and Saira Banu who made their Bollywood debuts with Shammi Kapoor in ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’ and ‘Junglee’ respectively^[8] However Shammi did have commercial successes in late sixties, like Budtameez and Sachaai with Sadhana, Latt Saheb with Nutan, Tumse Achha Kaun Hai with Babita.

In the 1970s, Kapoor’s weight problem proved an obstacle in his path of success and ended his career as a romantic hero as his films started failing. His last hit film, in which he played the lead role, was Andaz (1971). With time, he moved to character roles and acted in films like Zameer, Hero and Vidhaata. In 1974, he donned the hat of a director and made Manoranjan in 1974 and Bundal Baaz (1976). However, both the films failed to create magic at the box office though were critically acclaimed and have a cult fan following over the years. His last appearance as a character actor was in the delayed 2006 film, Sandwich and in early 2011, he decided to act with his grand-nephew Ranbir Kapoor, the grandson of his brother Raj Kapoor.

Shammi turned into a successful supporting actor in the 70's, playing Saira Banu's father in Zameer (1974), when he had been her leading man a decade earlier in Junglee (1961) and Bluff Master (1964) and playing Amitabh Bachchan's foster father in Parvarish. He also directed Manoranjan (1974) a copy of Irma La Douce and in which he played a supporting role himself and Bundal Baaz (1976) starring Rajesh Khanna, but neither were successful commercially though got critical acclaims and were hailed as classics and to be ahead of its time. In the 1980s and 1990s, he continued to play supporting roles in many films and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in Vidhaata (1982). He eventually cut down on film appearances by the late 1990s and early 2000s and made his appearances in the 1999 Salman Khan and Urmila Matondkar starring Jaanam Samjha Karo, 2002 release Waah! Tera Kya Kehna and delayed 2006 release Sandwich. He made his last appearance in Imtiaz Ali's directorial venture Rockstar co-starring his grand-nephew Ranbir Kapoor, the grandson of his brother Raj Kapoor.
Film director Shakti Samanta directed Shammi Kapoor in six hit films like Singapore, Pagla Kahin Ka, China Town, Kashmir Ki Kali, An Evening In Paris and Jaane Anjane and quoted in an interview “I found Shammi to be a thoroughly good man. Even in his heydays, he was humble."

Awards, nominations and other recognition

• 1962 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actor--Professor
• 1968 - Filmfare Best Actor Award, Brahmachari
• 1982 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award, Vidhata
• 1995 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1998 - Kalakar Awards - Special Award for "contribution in Indian Cinema"
• 1999 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
• 2001 - Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2001 - Anandalok Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2002 - Invaluable Contribution To Indian Cinema at the IIFA.
• 2005 - Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bollywood Movie Awards 
• 2008 - Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Indian cinema at the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF).
• 2009 - Phalke Legend Actor Award by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy 
• Recipient of the prestigious Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Indian entertainment industry.
• Rashtriya Gaurav Award

 Death

Kapoor was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai on 7 August 2011 suffering from chronic renal failure. His condition remained serious for next few days, kept under ventilator support. He died on 14 August 2011, 05:15am IST, of chronic renal failure, aged 79.

 References

1.                              ^ Veteran actor Shammi Kapoor passes away, CNN-IBN, 14 August 2011, http://ibnlive.in.com/news/veteran-actor-shammi-kappor-passes-away/175514-8-66.html, retrieved 14 August 2011 

2.                              ^ [1]

3.                              ^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (Tuesday, November 07, 2006). "Prithviraj Kapoor: A centenary tribute - Daily Times". Stockholm University. Daily Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. http://www.statsvet.su.se/publikationer/ahmed/artiklar_2006/41_prithviraj_kapoor.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2011. 

4.                              ^ http://www.screenindia.com/news/shammi-kapoorl-lionheart/388339/

5.                              ^ thirtymm.com - Celebrity Interviews - powered by React Media

6.                              ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indias-beloved-Junglee-no-more/articleshow/9606519.cms

7.                              ^ http://www.10ka20.com/indian-actors/shammi-kapoor-profile.html

8.                              ^ http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/bollywood/shammi-kapoors-leading-ladies-will-miss-star-746

9.                              ^ http://www.screenindia.com/story.php?id=396722&pg=-1

10.                          ^ http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=30&contentid=20110815201108150336432964182ab7c

11.                          ^ http://nadiagamal.multiply.com/photos/album/3/Nadia_with_Mr._Shami_Kapoor_in_1953

12.                          ^ "The Nominations - 1962". Filmfare Awards. http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/articleshow/articleshow/366477.cms. Retrieved 15 December 2010. 

13.                          ^ "The Winners - 1968". Filmfare Awards. http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/articleshow/366813.cms. Retrieved 15 December 2010. 

14.                          ^ "The Winners - 1982". Filmfare Awards. http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/articleshow/367125.cms. Retrieved 15 December 2010. 

15.                          ^ "Lifetime Achievement (Popular)". Filmfare Awards. http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=33782146. Retrieved 15 December 2010. 

16.                          ^ Kalakar Awards

17.                          ^ IIFA : IIFA Awards - Past Awards - 2000 - Winners

18.                          ^ Bollywood Awards | Bollywood Fashion Awards | Bollywood Music Awards

19.                          ^ Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore honoured at Pune International Film Fest- Hindustan Times

20.                          ^ FICCI-Frames award for Kamal Haasan

21.                          ^ "Environmentalist Ajay Jain awarded “Rashtriya Gaurav Award 2010”". i-Newswire. http://www.i-newswire.com/environmentalist-ajay-jain-awarded/18301. Retrieved 15 December 2010. 

22.                          ^ Shammi Kapoor's condition continues to be serious, Mid Day, 14 August 2011, http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/aug/140811-News-Mumbai-Shammi-Kapoor-condition-serious.htm, retrieved 14 August 2011 

23.                          ^ Veteran film actor Shammi Kapoor passes away, Times of India, 14 August 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Veteran-film-actor-Shammi-Kapoor-passes-away/articleshow/9598394.cms, retrieved 14 August 2011 

24.                          ^ Legendary actor Shammi Kapoor passes away, Times of India, 14 August 2011, http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/articles/story94206.htm, retrieved 14 August 2011