Remembering Shashi Kapoor ji 1938-2017

Shashi Kapoor PB (born as Balbir Prithviraj Kapoor; 18 March 1938 – 4 December 2017 was an Indian film actor and producer. He appeared in 168 films which includes large number of Hindi films as well as in various English-language films, notably the films produced by Merchant-Ivory. He was also a film director and assistant director in the Hindi film industry.

Shashi Kapoor was a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema. Kapoor was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) during the British Raj. He was the third and youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor, the younger brother of Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, the widower of Jennifer Kendal (sister of actress Felicity Kendal), and the father of Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor and Sanjana Kapoor.

In 2011, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his contributions to Art-Cinema. In 2015, he was awarded the 2014 Dadasaheb Phalke Award, making him the third member of his family to receive the highest award in Indian Cinema after Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor.

He was admitted for a reported chest infection at Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai on 3 December 2017 and died on 4 December 2017 due to prolonged liver cirrhosis.[

Shashi Kapoor acted in plays directed and produced by his father Prithviraj Kapoor, while traveling with Prithvi Theatres. He started acting in films as a child in the late 1940s, appearing in commercial films including Sangram (1950) and Dana Paani (1953) under the name of Shashiraj as there was another actor by the same name who used to act in mythological films as a child artiste. His best-known performances as child actor were in Aag (1948) and Awaara (1951), where he played the younger version of the characters played by his older brother Raj Kapoor and in Sangram (1950), where he played the younger version of Ashok Kumar. He worked in four Hindi films as a child artiste from 1948 to 1954.
Kapoor got an opportunity to work as an assistant director in the film Post Box 999, the debut film of Sunil Dutt, and worked as an assistant director to Ravindra Dave in Guest House(1959), which was followed by movies such as Dulha Dulhan and Shriman Satyawadi, where Raj Kapoor was the lead hero.
Shashi Kapoor made his debut as a leading man in the 1961 film Dharmputra and went on to appear in 116 Hindi films, including 61 films as the solo lead hero and 55 multi star-cast films, 21 films as supporting actor and special appearance in 7 films. He was a very popular actor in Bollywood during the 60s, 70s and until the mid-80s.
Shashi Kapoor formed on screen pairs with Raakhee, Sharmila Tagore and Zeenat Aman from the late sixties to the mid eighties. He also acted opposite actresses Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, and Moushumi Chatterjee in many films. After their first movie together Sharmelee became a blockbuster, Raakhee was frequently paired with him, and they acted in hit films such as Jaanwar Aur Insaan (1972), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Baseraa (1981), the critically acclaimed Trishna (1978) however Doosara Aadmi (1977), Bandhan Kuchchey Daghon Ka, Bandh Honth (1984), and Zameen Aasman were flops. He starred with Sharmila Tagore in hits like Waqt (1965), Aamne Samne (1967), Suhana Safar (1970), Patanga (1971), Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973), Vachan (1974),[13] Paap Aur Punya (1974), Swati (1986), the critically acclaimed New Delhi Times (1985), which fetched Kapoor a National Film Award for Best Actor in 1986,[14]Other films with Sharmila like My Love (1970), Anari (1975), Gehri Chot (1983), Maa Beti (1986) and Ghar Bazar (1998) were not successful. With Zeenat Aman, he worked in hit films like Chori Mera Kaam (1975), Deewaangee (1976), Roti Kapda Aur Makan, Heeralal Pannalal (1978), Pakhandi (1984), Bhavani Junction(1985), Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) and the pair witnessed flops like Krodhi (1981), Vakil Babu (1982), and Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon Ka (1983). He did 10 films opposite Hema Malini.As a pair, Shashi and Hema Malini had 6 hits like Abhinetri, Aap Beati, Trishul, Aandhi Toofan, Apna Khoon, Maan Gaye Ustaad and 4 flops - Jahan Pyar Mile, Naach Uthe Sansaar, Do Aur Do Paanch, Anjaam.
Kapoor's other successful movies include Haseena Maan Jayegi (1968) and Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati (1969), both with Babita, Kanyadan (1968) and Pyar Ka Mausam (1969) both opposite Asha Parekh, Chor Machaye Shor opposite Mumtaz, Abhinetri (1970), Aap Beati (1976) and Maan Gaye Ustaad (1981), with Hema Malini, Bezubaan with Reena Roy, Chakkar Pe Chakkar (1976), Kali Ghata (1980), Kalyug (1981), Vijeta (1982) and Pyaar Ki Jeet (1987) all with Rekha and Bepanaah (1985) with Rati Agnihotri. Other films include multi-starrers like Dil Ne Pukara (1967), Trishul (1978), Neeyat (1980), Aandhi Toofan (1985), Naina (1973), Phaansi (1978), Salaakhen (1975), Fakira (1976), and Junoon (1978).He also worked with Rajesh Khanna in Prem Kahani (1975).
From the 1970s to early 1980s, Kapoor starred alongside Pran in 9 films which include Biradari, Chori Mera Kaam, Phaansi, Shankar Dada, Chakkar Pe Chakkar, Rahu Ketu and Maan Gaye Ustaad.[16] Earlier Shashi had worked as child artists with Pran in Sanskar.He made a popular pairing with Amitabh Bachchan and the two co-starred in a total of 12 films: Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Deewaar (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Trishul (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Suhaag (1979), Namak Halaal (1982) however Immaan Dharam(1977),Do Aur Do Paanch (1980), Shaan (1980),Silsila (1981), Akayla (1991) were flops.[17] Shashi Kapoor was regularly cast with Sanjeev Kumar also in films like Mukti (1977), Trishul, Muqaddar (1978), Swayamvar (1980), Sawaal (1982), and Pakhandi (1984).After his wife's death in 1984, he started becoming fat ,but he was given his comeback role as character artiste by Rajesh Khanna in Alag Alag, a 1985 film.

He was also known internationally for starring in British and American films, notably Merchant Ivory productions run by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, such as The Householder(1963), Shakespeare Wallah (1965) (opposite his sister-in-law Felicity Kendal), Bombay Talkie (1970) and Heat and Dust (1982) in which he co-starred with his wife Jennifer Kendal, The Deceivers (1988) and Side Streets (1998). He also starred in other British and American films such as Pretty Polly ("A Matter Of Innocence" (1967)) opposite Hayley Mills, Siddhartha (1972), Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), and Muhafiz (1994). James Ivory directed Kapoor in the first Merchant Ivory production The Householder, then in Shakespeare-Wallah, Bombay Talkie and Heat and Dust while Ismail Merchant directed him in In Custody (1993).
In the whole of the Kapoor clan, Shashi Kapoor has been the solo hero more times (61 films) and also as a lead protagonist in more Hindi films(116) than his nephews Rishi Kapoor,Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv and even more than his brothers Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and more than his grand-nephews and grand-nieces.

He accepted very few roles as a character actor in films since 1987. He acted with Pierce Brosnan in The Deceivers (1988). He also won a National (special jury) Award for his performance in Muhafiz (In Custody) (1994), and played the Rajah in the TV adaptation of Gulliver's Travels (1996). His last and most recent film appearances were in Jinnah (1998), a biographical film of Mohammed Ali Jinnah in which he was the narrator and another Merchant Ivory production titled Side Streets (1998). He retired from the film industry by late 1990s and had not appeared in any film ever since. He was seen in the limelight at the Shashi Kapoor Film Festival held in Muscat, Oman (September 2007). At the 55th Annual Filmfare Awards, Shashi Kapoor received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

On 20 July 2012, Shashi Kapoor underwent a cataract surgery at Kokilaben Hospital in suburban Andheri. He was discharged from the hospital the same day. He was admitted at the Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai, on December 3, 2017 reportedly for chest infection, where he died the following day on December 4, 2017.  He is survived by two sons, Kunal and Karan, and a daughter, Sanjana, who takes care of the Prithvi Theatre.