Shashi Kapoor

His film " Swarg Se Pyara Ghar Hamara" (1996) is completed and unreleased. Starring Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Meenakshi, Vidyashri, Bindu, Amjad Khan, Kader Khan, Gulshan Grover.Music :Laxmikant -Pyarelal. Produced : Waris Pictures. Directed: Kalptaru.

Saboot Mangta Hai Kanoon was released very late in 1994 titled as Khushkismat and he was paired opposite actress Swapna. The song sung by Kishore Kumar was picturised on Shashi Kapoor - Batao Duniya Walon Hum Pyar Kyun Na Kare- composed by Kalyanji Anandji which became popular.

Shashi and Jennifer had three children; Kunal Kapoor, an actor and ad director, Karan Kapoor a photographer and sometimes actor, and Sanjana Kapoor, an actress who has run Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai since 1993.

He was one of the first Indian stars to go international, as he worked in both British and American films, and directed the Soviet Union co-production _Ajooba (1991) which was a disaster.

Shashi was lead protagonist in 7 English films and worked as a supporting actor/narrator in 5 English films. He has appeared in 148 Hindi films, 21 Hindi films had him in supporting role, worked in 4 films as a child artist and made 7 guest appearances. In all has appeared in 160 movies - 12 in English and 148 in Hindi and in one TV series Kissa Kathmandu Ka in 1986.

After his wife Jennifer died of cancer in 1984, Shashi started becoming obese and began taking on fewer roles in films, and shifted his focus to character roles. His first break as supporting actor after he became obese was given by Rajesh Khanna in film Alag Alag where his role along-with the lead pair of the film was appreciated.

He did 6 English films as lead hero till 1983 and then played villain in Deceivers and another lead role in 1993 and rest 4 English films had him in supporting role as narrator/guest appearance from 1987-1998.

He won two Filmfare Best Movie Awards for his work as producer and star of Junoon (1979) and Kalyug (1981). He costarred in 11 films with Amitabh Bachchan of which 4 (Deewar,Trishul, Suhaag,Namak Halal) were successful,1 (Kala Pathar)was average hit and rest 6 were flops. Shashi Kapoor did 61 solo lead hero films in Hindi and, of them, 35 were super-hits. Shashi did 55 multi-star cast movies where Shashi was one of the lead heroes and, of them, 33 were super-hits, 20 were flops, 2 remain unreleased.

He achieved success in multi star films from 1976-84. In the multi star films he did , he was paid more than co-stars Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Rishi and Randhir Kapoor. But Sanjeev Kumar,Pran and Dharmendra were paid at same rate as Shashi in the films where they were his co-stars. Only Rajesh Khanna was paid more than Shashi in the 2 films they did together. He played supporting role to Rajesh Khanna at peak of his career in Prem Kahani and then in Alag Alag.

He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Deewaar (1975).

His personal favorite Kishore Asha duet songs are Kahiye Kahase Ana Hua from Heeralal Pannalal, Hey Mujhe Dil Dey Nahi Toh Sunle and Yahan Nahi Kahungi from Mr. Romeo, Kahan Kahan Kis Kis Din from Chakkar Pe Chakkar and Kahe Ko Kahe Ko Mere Peeche Padi Hai from Chori Mera Kaam.His favorite Kishore Lata duet are Sa Re Ga Ma from Abhinetri, Na Soenge Na Sone Denge from Mr.Romeo, Wada Karo from Aa Gale Lag Ja, Aaj Madhosh Hua from Sharmilee ,Kaash Aisa Hota from Aahuti, Pyar Jab Tera Mera Hua from Deewangee. Jaane Mujhe Tune Yeh Kya Cheez from Naina(1973) is his most favorite Shardha Kishore duet.

Shashi did one intimate long scene in English film Siddhartha (1972) with Simi Garewal and one kissing scene in the English movie A Matter of Innocence (1967) with Hayley Mills. In Hindi movies he had only one kiss scene in his career which was in Satyam Shivam Sundaram with Zeenat Aman.Except for these 3 films never Shashi did any scene meant only for adults. Shashi had a kissing scene in the 1967 English film A Matter of Innocence where Shashi played the main male lead hero opposite Hayley Mills, who played the role of Pretty Polly.

Shashi Kapoor was 2nd highest paid Hindi actor,sharing the spot with Devanand from 1970-75 and 3rd third highest paid Hindi actor, sharing space with Vinod Khanna from 1976-82.The highest paid Indian actor was Rajesh Khanna from 1970-1987.

He personally regards his best performances as solo lead hero in Hindi films were in Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare , Jab Jab Phool Khile, Haseena Maan Jayegi , Pyar Ka Mausam, Raja Saab (1969), Jaanwar Aur Insaan, Mr.Romeo, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Chori Mera Kaam, Phaansi, Junoon, Kalyug , Pighalta Aasman, New Delhi Times and among the English films he did he feels his best were Shakespeare-Wallah, A Matter of Innocence (1967) , Heat and Dust (1983), In Custody (1994).Among the multi star films his personal favorites are Pyar Kiye Jaa, Prem Kahani, Deewar, Mukti, Trishna, Heeralal Pannalal, Basera, Bezubaan, Alag Alag.

Shashi started having solo hits opposite Rakhee, Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat Aman from 1968-1975 but had a weak period as a solo lead hero from 1974-1978 where he had 13 flops off 24 films as solo lead and this made him accept multi star cast films from 1976-85.

Except for their first 2 films together and Juaari, other 5 films of the pair Nanda-Shashi turned out to be super-hits from 1965-70. A versatile actor, Shashi worked in both mainstream popular Hindi cinema, art films and in Indian-set English-language films, such as those made by the film-making team Ismail Merchant and James Ivory.

5 English films of the total 7 English films with Shashi as a lead hero outside India were box-office success - The Householder (1963), Shakespeare-Wallah (1965), Pretty Polly (1967), Siddhartha (1972), Heat and Dust (1983) and 2 were flops Bombay Talkie (1970) and In Custody. He Played negative role in Peirce Brosnan starer The Deceivers (1988) and supporting role in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987) both which were a box-office hit too. Rest of the 3 English films had him as narrator or in guest appearances - Jinnah, Guliver's Travels and Side Streets.

But Nanda believed that Shashi does have the potential to be popular leading man and signed happily 8 films opposite him over the period 1962-1968.

Shashi debuted as a leading man in Yash Chopra's Dharmputra (1961).

From 1961-64 his Hindi films with him as the solo heroes were box office flops.

He tried his hand at English films when his Hindi films were flops from 1961-64 and achieved success in 1963 with 2 commercially successful English movies.

Shashi began touring with "Shakespeareana" and in 1958 he again asked for Jennifer's hand in marriage and was again refused.

However, Jennifer decided to go against her father's wishes, and in July of 1958, the couple were married in the traditional Indian style in Bombay.

By 1956, an 18-year old Shashi was both actor and assistant stage manager for "Prithvi Theatre. " That year, "Shakespeareana" --a traveling theater group under English actor Geoffrey Kendal, and "Prithvi Theatre" were both booked to play in Calcutta. While checking the audience reaction from backstage, Shashi's glance fell on Jennifer Kendal. Shashi soon learned she was playing Miranda in "The Tempest," and secured an introduction. The two began courting, and expressed a desire to wed. Geoffrey Kendal was uncertain about loosing not only his daughter, but his leading lady and theater manager. He insisted that the couple wait at least two years.

Shashi Kapoor had worked as a child artist in the film Dana Paani (1953) where Meena Kumari was playing heroine to Barat Bhushan and later in 1964 film Benazir, Shashi played brother-in-law to Meena Kumari's character.In the film Benazir Shashi Kapoor plays younger brother to Ashok Kumar and Ashok Kumar mistakes Shashi of having affair with his wife played by Meena Kumari.

Shashi Kapoor had worked with Pran in the hit 1952 film Sanskar(1952) as a child artist and later when Shashi became a lead hero himself, Pran and Shashi worked in 9 films.

Shashi Kapoor had worked as a child artist with Bharat Bhushan as lead hero in mythological Ram Darshan (1950) and in Dana Paani (1953) and later Bharat Bhushan played father to Shashi Kapoor in the 1967 film Pyar Ka Mausam where Shashi was the solo lead hero and was first film of Bharat Bhushan as a character actor.

As a child, he appeared in 4 films from 1948-53 which includes 2 films of his eldest brother Raj Kapoor as the hero and Sangram, where Shashi played Ashok Kumar.

Shashi Kapoor is one of the leading actors of Indian cinema having appeared in 160 movies - 12 in English and 148 in Hindi. He has appeared in 148 Hindi films - of them played the solo lead hero in 61 films, was lead hero in 53 released multi star cast Hindi films, 2 unreleased multi star film and 21 Hindi films had him in supporting role, worked in 4 films as a child artist and made 7 guest appearances. Indian actor of Bollywood, Parallel Cinema, and International productions; Shashi Kapoor is the youngest son of theater and film actor Prithviraj Kapoor and his wife Ramsarni "Rama" Mehra Kapoor. Shashi grew up traveling around the country with his father's acting trope "Prithvi Theatres. " from 1940-59. He began appearing on stage from the age of four.

He also began working in films in the early 1940s.

Shashi regarded Rajesh Khanna and Sanjeev Kumar as the most versatile actors of Hindi Cinema from among his contemporaries and he regarded these 2 along-with his seniors Pran and Ashok Kumar from 1930-2000 as the most versatile from Hindi Cinema.He respected M G Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganeshan among the Tamil film actors for their body of work. He believed Amitabh did mostly angry young man or multi star films from 1975 to 1999 and turned versatile only after 2000.