Shashi Kapoor: The man I know

Shashi Kapoor started acting as a child in the late 1940s, as a child star. Coming from a family of movie stars, it was a given that he would end up a thespian. After Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, it was Shashi's turn to be launched. His initial films like Char Diwari, Dharmputra, Mehandi Lagi Mere Haath and Prem Patra did not do well at the box office, although they were supported by big banners like B.R. Chopra and Bimal Roy. The story goes that one day, when he was talking to his close friend Raj Grover, the latter suggested that they have lunch at Gupta Restaurant opposite Sree Sound Studio in Dadar. The place was supposed to be a lucky charm for struggling artists, and many famous names like Dharmendra were regulars there. “What is the use of that?” Kapoor asked. Grover insisted that there was no harm in trying, and they went for lunch. The following week, Jab Jab Phool Khile was released, which gave Kapoor his first bumper hit; there was no looking back.

Kapoor was a hit not just in India. He was one of the first actors who did English films, with Merchant Ivory and Ismail Merchant. Kapoor was charm personified. The best part was that he aged like fine wine—looking better with each passing year. In his younger days, he was described more as 'beautiful', than the conventional 'handsome'.

At one point in his life, his schedule became so punishing that his bother Raj Kapoor started calling him 'taxi', since he was doing three to four shifts every day. His popularity skyrocketed, and finally Raj Kapoor cast him in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Kapoor was a family man who lived with his wife and children at Napeansea Road; shoots on Sunday were a big no-no. Kapoor was honoured with Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke awards

I have known him for decades, as my brother was very close to him from the days of Prem Patra. “My name is Shashi Kapoor”: that is how he always introduced himself. Enough has been written about his film life, so I will talk about the man as I remember him. Once my brother Shiva Chandra borrowed a car—a white Fiat that belonged to his brother, if memory serves right—and it so happened that it met with an accident in Andheri. When my brother informed him, Kapoor expressed relief that my brother was not hurt. Years later, when my brother was suffering from cancer, he called Shashi, who was very helpful. When my brother expired, I wrote to him, and when we met after a month or so, he consoled me.

In the 80s, when I returned to Mumbai to join a film magazine, he asked me to do a Kunal Kapoor shoot for him—the latter was about to be launched. Grover remembers another incident. When Shashi bought his flat at Napeansea Road, they had a house warming party. It ended very late. Jennifer (Shashi's wife) asked him: where did Raj (Grover) go? Shashi said that he did not know. Later, they discovered Grover sleeping in their bedroom. When the latter got up in the morning, he saw Jennifer sleeping on the sofa, and Shashi on the floor of the carpet. That was another side of the hero.