Shashi Kapoor is an Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been a film director and assistant director in the Hindi film industry. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema. He has appeared in a large number of Hindi films as well as in a few English-language films
Background
He is the younger brother of Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, the son of Prithviraj Kapoor, the widower of Jennifer Kendal, and the father of Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, and Sanjana Kapoor.
Attended Don Bosco High School in Matunga, Bombay. In July 1958, he married the English actress Jennifer Kendal and they acted in a number of films together, most notably in the Merchant Ivory productions. Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal met in Calcutta in 1956 while working for their respective theatre groups. Shashi Kapoor was both assistant stage manager as well as actor for his father’s theatre group, Prithvi. Geoffery Kendal’s Shakespearana group was also present at the same time in Calcutta and Jennifer was Geoffery’s daughter. After their subsequent meeting, the couple fell in love and after facing initial opposition from Geoffery and support from sister in law Geeta Bali, they got married. He had three children with Kendal; Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor and Sanjana Kapoor. Jennifer and Shashi Kapoor established Prithvi theatre in 5 November 1978 in Mumbai. Kendal died of cancer in 1984. Shashi Kapoor’s children for a short while became film actors but their Caucasian looks and accented Hindi prevented them from having a successful career in Hindi films.
Career
Shashi Kapoor started acting in films as a child in the early 1940s appearing in several mythological films and commercial films including Meena (1944), Tadbir, and Bachpan (1945) under the name of Shashiraj. His best known performances as child artist were in Aag (1948) and Awaara (1951) where he played the younger version of the characters played by his older brother Raj Kapoor. From the age of four, Shashi had started acting in plays directed and produced by his father Prithviraj Kapoor, while travelling with Prithvi Theatres. He worked in 19 films as child artist from 1944–54.
Shashi Kapoor made his debut as a leading man in the 1961 film Dharmputra and went on to appear in 116 Hindi films as main lead protagonist, including 63 films as solo lead hero and 53 multi star-cast films, as well as 22 films as supporting actor and 5 special appearances.He was a very popular debonair actor in Bollywood during the 1960s, 1970s and the mid-1980s. He was one of India's first actors to go international. In the 1960s Kapoor acted in several romantic films opposite Nanda, including Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain (1965), Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965), Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare (1966), Raja Saab (1969) and Rootha Na Karo(1970). In the 1990s in an interview, Shashi Kapoor declared that Nanda was his favourite heroine and that he regarded her as one of his mentors. In another interview, Nanda stated that Shashi Kapoor was her favourite hero.
Shashi Kapoor formed on screen pairs with Raakhee, Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat Aman in the late sixties till the mid eighties. Films where Kapoor acted opposite actresses such as Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, and Moushumi Chatterjee were also commercially successful. Kapoor's most popular solo hero movies include Haseena Maan Jayegi (1968) and Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati (1969) both with Babita, Kanyadan, Pyar Ka Mausam. He also worked with Rajesh Khanna in Prem Kahani.
Between 1974 and 1977, Kapoor's solo lead films were less commercially successful, which led to him accepting multi star cast films in the period 1976–85/ In some of his successful films from the 1970s and in early 1980s he co-starred alongside Pran in 9 films which include 7 hits Biradari, Chori Mera Kaam, Phaansi, Shankar Dada, Chakkar Pe Chakkar, Rahu Ketu and Maan Gaye Ustaad and with Amitabh Bachchan in 11 films of which Roti Kapda Makaan, Deewaar (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Trishul (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Suhaag (1979), Namak Halaal (1982) were commercially successful and Shaan (1980), Silsila, Do Aur Do Paanch (1980) and Akayla were flops at the box office.
He was also known internationally for starring in many British and American films, notably Merchant Ivory productions run by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, such as 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), Muhafiz (1994). James Ivory directed Shashi in the first Merchant Ivory production The Householder, then in Shakespeare-Wallah, Bombay Talkie and Heat and Dust. Ismail Merchant directed Shashi Kapoor in "In Custody" Muhafiz (1994). He was the first Indian actor to work extensively in Hollywood films and British films, at the kick-start of his acting stint in Bollywood, (1960) on-wards and he started doing English films due to his failure as solo lead hero between 1960–1965 before Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain and Jab Jab Phool Khile in 1965 became hits.
In 1978, he set up his production house, Film Valas, which produced critically acclaimed films such as Junoon (1978), Kalyug (1981), 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Vijeta (1982) and Utsav (1984). In 1991 he produced and directed a fantasy film titled Ajooba which had his frequent co-star Amitabh Bachchan and nephew Rishi Kapoor in the lead but the film was a disaster at the box office.
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). 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 has now retired from the film industry and did not appear in any film since. He was seen in the limelight at the "Shashi Kapoor Film Festival" held in Muscat, Oman (September 2007). He has lost a considerable amount of weight and looked healthy. Recently, at the 55th Annual Filmfare Awards, Shashi Kapoor received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
1986 – National Film Award for Best Actor for New Delhi Times
1994 – National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film) for Muhafiz (1993)
1979 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi (as producer) for Junoon
1986 – National Film Award for Best Actor for New Delhi Times
1994 – National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film) for Muhafiz (1993)
1979 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi (as producer) for Junoon
Filmfare Awards,
India
2010 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
Filmfare Best Movie Award – Won
1980 Junoon
1982 Kalyug
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
1976 Deewar – Ravi Verma
2010 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
Filmfare Best Movie Award – Won
1980 Junoon
1982 Kalyug
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
1976 Deewar – Ravi Verma
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards,
India
BFJA Award for Best Actor
1965 Jab Jab Phool Khile – Raja
1988 New Delhi Times – Vikas Pande
BFJA Award for Best Actor
1965 Jab Jab Phool Khile – Raja
1988 New Delhi Times – Vikas Pande
Other Awards
2011 – Mohammed Rafi Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
2009 – The 7th Pune International Film Festival (PIFF)
2009 – The 11th Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) Mohammed Rafi Award[20]
Lifetime Achievement Award
2009
2011 – Mohammed Rafi Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
2009 – The 7th Pune International Film Festival (PIFF)
2009 – The 11th Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) Mohammed Rafi Award[20]