Shashi Kapoor - A Legend With A Difference

In the field of performing arts it is very important to carve out a niche, build an image and then live with it. It is a necessity to reap the benefits of a style, a charisma and a mannerism. Transformation will spell doom, so do not attempt it. Seldom do we see a performer break this kind of a norm. Even more seldom do we see a performer breaking it at regular intervals.  In an era when Socialism was at an all-time high and when hip-hop dancing and jaw-dropping beauty were prevalent all around there arrived a different man. The man was the scion of an illustrious family; therefore, he had all the avenues on hand to sail his way into the showbiz world. But, he decided to struggle and make a mark and finally become a legend. The legend has grown so much that the highest honor of Indian Cinema, the prestigious DadaSaheb Phalke award for this year is conferred to him.

So, what went into the making of this legend by the name Shashi Kapoor? Let us find it!

Born in Calcutta, the little boy started to travel to various places in India accompanying his father's theater group. He was still a rather young boy when the germ of acting got planted inside him. Eventually, he went on to act as a child artist in several films. The high point here was the classic "Awaara" where he played the child version of his great brother Raj Kapoor. Shashi Kapoor, in an interview, said that acting was never taught to him. In a sense, he was born and brought up in an environment of acting. For those of us that have seen "Awaara" cannot forget the first forty minutes of the movie. The little boy just stole the show with his honest acting, his natural expressions and his non-melodramatic approach to the character.

The seed had just started to grow inside Shashi Kapoor when, at the age of eighteen, he met Jennifer Kendal and in two years, they tied the knot. Again, from my memory, I recall that he regarded Jennifer to be one of the most versatile and complete actors of his generation.

During the swinging sixties, at the peak of his career, he was giving life to many super hit songs. But when asked about music directors, he once said, he liked Husanlal Bhagatram (from much earlier times) and considered him to be one of the finest musicians. Again, he was different there!

According to him, there was a theory that kept playing against him. It was that he was born with some slightly irregularly oriented teeth. Even today, we cannot imagine how that could be a problem! One of the most handsome and good looking leading actors of all time and such a comment - but, he handled it well! He used his smile to perfection. He used it in a very convincing way and a certain sophistication and charm graced the screen which was hardly seen before.

His films -- the ones he produced -- did not do too well at the Box Office. But he said that he was extremely proud of those filems. The list is quite long. Shyam Benegal's "Junoon", Aparna Sen's "36 Chowringhee Lane" and Govind Nihalani's "Vijeta" are standout films, till today. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was probably the only producer in India who never made films that were even slightly like each other. He wanted them to be different.

Working with Merchant and Ivory was again a great deviation from the standards. Those that have seen "Householder" can remember how easily he portrayed a rather complex character.

His pairing with Amitabh Bachchan was made by Yash Chopra - Shashi Kapoor told this unequivocally in an interview. He loved working with the superstar and though he was older than Amitabh, yet he was the younger brother on more than one occasion in the films they did together. Though he has been paired with other great actors, the comfort level that Bachchan shared with Shashi Kapoor is perhaps unmatched.

Time to conclude, since, ten or fifteen editions of InDepth will not be able to cover Shashi Kapoor and the legend that he is. Before parting - though I have seen New Delhi Times, his standout performance, I have not yet managed to find the celluloid version of Feluda in "Kissa Kathmandu Ka". This was a film made for television where he played the role of a detective character created by Satyajit Ray. When I find it, I promise to write a few more words to describe the uniqueness of his craft!

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