Shammi Kapoor was an Indian film actor and director. He made his film debut in 1953 with the film Jeevan Jyoti, which was a commercial failure. Kapoor acted in a series of flops from 1953 to 1957, finally breaking the chain with the hit Tumsa Nahin Dekha. He became one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema in the 1950s and 1960s.
Background
He was given the name Shamsher Raj Kapoor at his birth in Mumbai to film and theatre actor Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsharni Kapoor née Mehra. Part of the Kapoor family, he had an older brother, Raj Kapoor and a younger one - Shashi Kapoor. They both became successful actors. He was also the son of Prithviraj Kapoor. He spent a major portion of his childhood in Kolkata, where his father was involved with New Theatres Studios, acting in films. Kapoor married twice, first to actress Geeta Bali, which ended with her death from smallpox. His second wife was Neila Devi, whom he married in 1969. Kapoor also had an affair with his Brahmachari co-star, Mumtaz.
Education
It was in Kolkata that he did his Montessori and Kindergarten. After coming back to Mumbai, he first went to St. Joseph's Convent (Wadala) and then, to Don Bosco School. He finished his matric schooling from New Era School at Hughes Road.
Kapoor had a short stint at Ruia College, in Matunga, Mumbai, after which he joined his father’s theatrical company Prithvi Theatres.
Career
He entered the cinema world in 1948, as a junior artiste, at a salary of Rs. 50 per month, stayed with Prithvi Theatres for the next four years and collected his last pay check of Rs. 300, in 1952. He made his debut in Bollywood in the year 1953, when the film Jeevan Jyoti was released. It was directed by Mahesh Kaul and Chand Usmani was Kapoor’s first heroine.