The Indian actor-producer-director Shashi Kapoor, a recipient of four National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards, made over 160 movies. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2011, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 2014, for his contribution to Indian cinema.
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Willum Skeener
Born as “Balbir Raj Kapoor” on March 18, 1938, into the Kapoor family, he was the third and the youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor. He began his career as a child actor in his brother Raj Kapoor’s directorial Aag (1948) and had his first role as an adult in Yash Chopra’s political drama Dharmputra (1961).
Between 1962 and 1964, he saw modest successes with films like Bimal Roy’s “Prem Patra” (1962), Kanak Mishra’s “Yeh Dil Kisko Doon” (1963), and S. Khalil’s “Benazir” (1964), but none significantly boosted his career.
He truly made his mark in 1965 with two major hits – “Waqt” and “Jab Jab Phool Khile”. Following this, he experienced a period of moderate success, with exceptions like “Pyar Kiye Jaa”, “Haseena Maan Jayegi”, “Kanyadaan”, “Sharmeelee”, and “Aa Gale Lag Jaa”. However, he made a remarkable comeback in 1974 with “Chor Machaye Shor”.
His success with “Chor Machaye Shor” elevated him to the top tier of stars, delivering box office hits like “Roti Kapada Aur Makaan,” “Deewaar,” “Chori Mera Kaam,” “Kabhi Kabhie,” “Fakira,” “Trishul,” “Suhaag,” “Kranti,” and “Namak Halaal.”.
He received praise for his diverse roles, including a reckless chieftain in “Junoon,” a businessman in “Kalyug,” a strict father in “Vijeta,” and an honest journalist in “New Delhi Times,” earning him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
As time went on, he grew weary of mainstream Hindi cinema and sought refuge in films like Shyam Benegal’s Junoon (1978), Aparna Sen’s 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Girish Karnard’s Utsav (1984), and Ramesh Sharma’s New Delhi Times (1986). The 1970s and early 1980s offered a conducive environment for more thought-provoking independent cinema, and Shashi embraced the opportunity these films provided for artistic exploration.
In 1956, at the age of 18, he joined the British actor Geoffrey Kendal’s Shakespeare company and fell in love with one of Kendal’s daughters, Jennifer, whom he subsequently married in 1958 and with whom he fathered three children: Kunal Kapoor, Karan Kapoor, and Sanjana Thapar.
James Ivory directed Kapoor in The Householder (1963), based on Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s novel. The film was released internationally, and then in 1965, Ivory and Jhabvala wrote “Shakespeare Wallah,” based on the Kendals’ touring company, in which Geoffrey, Jennifer, Felicity, and Kapoor played fictitious versions of themselves.
Among Kapoor’s other English-speaking films were “Pretty Polly” (1967), from a story by Noël Coward, while Ivory directed Kapoor in “Bombay Talkie (1970)” with Jennifer Kendal, “Heat and Dust (1983),” and “The Deceivers (1988).” Ivory’s partner, Ismail Merchant, made “In Custody(1994) with Kapoor, from the novel by Anita Desai.
Other films featuring the actor include Conrad Rooks’ Siddhartha (1970), Stephen Frears’ “Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987),” written by Hanif Kureishi, “Jinnah (1998)” with Christopher Lee, and Tony Gerber’s “Side Streets(1998).” Assad Raja’s “Dirty British Boys” was Kapoor’s last film before he retired in 1999.
He died aged 79 due to liver cirrhosis on 4 December, 2017.
