Shammi Kapoor: Elvis Presley of the Indian cinema

तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे....

Shammi Kapoor’s screen persona, his exuberance flamboyant acting, swept-back hair and smoldering eyes drew comparisons to American Rock-‘n’-Roll icon Elvis Presley. The debonair actor with ants-in-his-pants dancing style, brought flair and finesse to the songs with a flawless hip twist. The catchy upbeat musical numbers like ‘Suku Suku’ cemented his appeal among the filmgoers, who flocked to theatres just to see his antics and mannerisms. He graduated from serious roles to a light-hearted playboy. ‘Ehsaan Tera Hoga’ to ‘Ishaaro Ishaaro Mein Dil’, you recall any iconic number and you will find romantic icon Shammi ruling the screens and winning over hearts. His boisterous sensuality and confidence made him irresistible to his fans and he became arguably the first male pin-up of the Indian subcontinent, a sort of ‘Indian Elvis’.

Shammi Kapoor’s journey to stardom began with prolonged and unremitting failures. He became an overnight sensation with Nasir Hussain’s ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’ (1957). With a career that boasts of many blockbusters and films, those changed the face of Indian cinema. He made his own mark with his famous ‘Yahoo’ yell, which signified the arrival of a rebel star against the reigning trio of Raj, Dev and Dilip. The primal, rebellious,  joyful ‘Yahoo’ cry that he utters at the beginning of the song was typical of the kinds of carefree, spontaneous characters he played in the 1960s. Shammi’s high-octane energy, uncountable expressions and dance moves are still etched in the memory of movie-lovers all around the world. Mention his name and one is sure to start humming Yahoo! Chahe Mujhe Koi Junglee Kahe (Junglee), O Hasina Julfon Wali (Teesari Manzil) and many more.

He was born as Shamsher Raj Kapoor to film and theatre celebrity Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsharni Kapoor on October 21 1931. Though he was born in Bombay, but he spent his early childhood in the ancestral Kapoor Haveli at Peshawar. Later he had Montessori education in Calcutta but was mostly educated in Bombay at St Joseph's Convent, Don Bosco School, New Era School and Ruia College. In 1948, he joined his father’s theatrical company as a junior artiste with a monthly salary of Rs. 50. After a short stint at Prithvi Theatres, he decided to enter the filmdom.

He never got a launch like any star kid and made a stuttering start in Bollywood. In fact, the first ever film Shammi Kapoor had signed was ‘Hum Tum Aur Woh’ opposite Madhubala. But that film didn't go beyond the opening shot. He then signed ‘Jeevan Jyoti’ but ‘Rail Ka Dibba’ had gone on the floor ahead of it as if it was ordained that his career should start with gorgeous Madhubala. In spite of his overt self-confidence and cavalier disposition, Shammi was extremely nervous taking Madhubala in his arms for an intimate scene. Madhubala would often tell him that he was too thin and needed to put on weight. Soon he took to drinking. His obsession for Madhubala had also taught Shammi a lesson, after that he didn't ask for any of the top heroines to be paired with him.

Instead of catapulting him to stardom, his debut film Jeevan Jyoti (1953) opposite Chand Usmani faded without a trace. Over the next three years, his films continued to crash at the box office despite having acted opposite some known heroines. But Shammi knew how to struggle and survive. Despite flops, he would work in theatre, go out for hunting, read and learn music. The feisty young actor upped the stakes after he married Geeta Bali in 1955. Having responsibilities as a father and being seen primarily as the husband of a famous film star, there was lot of frustration, which prompted Shammi to change direction. He decided to model himself on Elvis Presley, shaved off his moustache, cut his hair to get the ducktail style, acquired a rock 'n' roll swagger, put on cool western clothes and gave his all in ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’.

Only when he reinvented himself in Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), his career took flight. Shammi replicated the magic with his next film ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ featuring the debutante Asha Parekh. With Junglee (1961) his new rakish persona was cemented and his subsequent films were all in this genre viz. Romcoms. Subsequently, he appeared in successful films like Basant, Ujala, Singapore, Boy Friend, Professor, Dil Tera Diwana, Vallah Kya Baat Hai, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, China Town, Bluff Master, Preet Na Jane Reet, Janwar and Rajkumar etc. His pairing opposite Southern heroines like B. Saroja Devi, Padmini and Vyjayanthimala proved commercially successful.

As an actor, he had a knack of playing both the emotional and comical angles of a story with just the right amount of energy. Filming the blockbuster ‘Teesri Manzil’ after the sudden death of his wife Geeta Bali, Shammi Kapoor was extremely likeable as the drummer Rocky. Shammi’s emotional turn as Brahmachari won him his only Filmfare Best Actor award. In ‘Pagla Kahin Ka’, he was handed out a meaty role to play. His last film as hero was Andaaz (1971) opposite Hema Malini.

Shammi never completely disappeared from the public eye, even when the lead roles were few and far between after Andaz. He ventured into direction with ‘Manoranjan’ (1974), a movie inspired from the French play ‘Irma La Douce’. But Shammi’s debut behind the camera met with limited success. A follow-up film Bundalbaaz (1976) was a box office disaster. He was to direct his third film for producer B.S.Khanna, but the film was shelved. He returned to acting with a string of strong character and cameo roles in films like Zameer, Prem Rog, Hero, Betaab, Ahista Ahista, Parvarish, Mama Bhanja, Ek Jaan Hain Hum, Shalimar, Armaan, Sohni Mahiwal, Biwi O Biwi, Professor Pyarelal, Desh Premee, Batwaara, Hakumat, Ajooba, Jaanam Samjha Karo, Prem Granth, Aur Pyar Ho Gaya and Sandwich. Despite having painful kidney dialysis, he appeared on the big screen in his last film ‘Rockstar’ (2011).

Shammi Kapoor excelled in donning disguises to play multiple characters. In Professor (1962), he was utterly delightful in the disguise of an old man who taught the wards of a wealthy guardian Lalita Pawar. In the thriller ‘China Town’ he appeared in a difficult double role as lost-at-birth brothers. He made his mark as the besotted Rajiv Lal in ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’, praising the enchanting beauty of the dimple girl Sharmila Tagore 'Taarif Karoon Kya Uski..'. Shammi was open to experimentation, after romancing Saira Banu in Junglee and Bluff Master he played her father in Zameer (1973). While shooting for ‘An Evening in Paris’, he gave the famous helicopter shot without use of a body double. Shammi was a good swimmer but he broke two ribs during a diving shot for the film ‘Budtameez’.

Acting was his forte, but he was the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll. He changed the musical face of Hindi cinema by introducing a swagger into film songs and he bucked the trend of a stationary hero. Shammi came off so energetic and vivacious on screen that many of his leading ladies feared that he often would hurt someone on the set with his moves. The turbo-charged title track of Junglee with the legendary ‘Yahoo’ cry became Shammi’s signature song. In this song, his knees were bruised badly while shooting the sequence where he’s seen coming down the snow-capped mountains. He delivered another high-energy performance in ‘Taarif Karoon Kya Uski’ (Kashmir Ki Kali) despite being confined to a small Kashmiri gondala. In ‘Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra’, his gravity-defying moves kept the audience enthralled. Shammi and Sadhana steamed up the screen in ‘Dilruba Dil Pe Tu’ (Rajkumar) with plenty of metaphors, heavy breathing and close embraces. He channelled his inner Beatles with ‘Dekho Ab To Kisi Ko’ in ‘Janwar’. Shammi and Helen were a dynamite combination in ‘O Haseena Zulfonwali’ (Teesri Manzil). Shammi hanging from a helicopter in a dressing gown, sang a catchy number ‘Aasman Se Aaya Farishta’ (An Evening In Paris) to a water-skiing Sharmila Tagore in a hot swimming costume on the French Riviera. A lot of gyrations from Shammi and Mumtaz in the catchy dance number ‘Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche’ (Brahmachari). If Shammi brought a bucketful of untamable energy into such songs, he also managed to bring a somber ruminative tone to heartbreak songs. Shammi’s emotional numbers like: ‘Awaaz Deke Hamen Tum Bulao’ (Professor); ‘Tum Mujhe Yun Bhula Na Paoge’ (Pagla Kahin Ka) and ‘Dil Ke Jharoke Mein’ (Brahmachari) still tug at the heartstrings.

During his illustrious long career, he has acted in 144 films and directed two movies. He had also acted in Bengali and Tamil movies. In 1968, he won Filmfare Best Actor Award for Brahmachari. He also got the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Vidhaata(1982) and Filmfare lifetime achievement Award in 1995.

Shammi even dabbled on the small screen with Bible Ki Kahaniyan, Shikast, Dastaan-e-Hatimtai, Chattan and Main Anari Tu Anari etc. He also produced his own Video Magazine ‘Shammi Kapoor presents Manoranjan’.

Shammi was a computer suave and a passionate exponent of the internet when it was even unknown to India. He was the founder and chairman of Internet Users Community of India (IUCI). He also played a significant role in setting up internet organizations like Ethical Hackers Association. Shammi Kapoor, red-lipped with back-brushed slick hair and a bushy beard remained the man who’d boisterously declare his love for Pan Parag Masala.

Shammi and Nutan were neighbours, when they grew up to be teens, they decided to get married. But Nutan’s mother, Shobhna Samarth rejected the match and sent Nutan off to Switzerland that ended the childhood love tale. He fell in love with belly dancer and Egyptian actress Nadia Gamal while holidaying in Sri Lanka. But their relationship broke with her returning to Cairo. Bina Ramani, an eminent socialite also claimed to have had a tumultuous affair with Shammi Kapoor.

Shammi met Geeta Bali during the shooting of ‘Rangeen Raaten’ (1955). After just four months of courtship, he married Geeta in the Banganga Temples on 24 August 1955 without the knowledge of their parents. The only witness was Hari Walia, producer of their first film together ‘Coffee House’ (1957). They had a son Aditya Raj Kapoor and a daughter Kanchan. In 1965, while Shammi was shooting for 'Teesri Manzil', Geeta fell victim to smallpox and passed away on 21 January, 1965. After Geeta’s death, Shammi went into depression and lost interest in work. He became closer to Mumtaz her co-star in 'Brahmchari' and wanted to marry her, but she politely declined the proposal as Shammi wanted her to give up her career. In 1969, he remarried Neila Devi Gohil belonging to the royal family of Bhavnagar.

Shammi Kapoor was undergoing dialysis for many years and he died of renal failure on 14 August, 2011. He lived like a prince and went like a king. His ashes were immersed in the iconic Dal Lake, where most of his romantic songs were picturised. He was not just an actor, he was an era. It was almost poetic that the man who felt and relived music with every pore in his body, in a way got the most melodious send-off with

  “Ho... Rang-Rezaaaa... Kun Faya Kun….” (Rockstar)