Shammi Kapoor: Lesser known facts

Shammi Kapoor, also known as the Elvis Presley of India, was born today. The super-energetic dancer who taught Indians how to groove, will always be remembered for his lively screen-presence. A romantic hero who was proverbially born with his dancing shoes on, was also a tech-geek and was way ahead of his contemporaries in visualising trends. Last seen in grandson Ranbir Kapoor’s blockbuster film Rockstar, Shammi set the screen on fire with his never-say-die spirit.
Here's taking a look at what made Shammi Kapoor much more than an actor.

Unlike the current generation, Shammi Kapoor was not launched as a star kid by his superstar father Prithviraj Kapoor. He struggled for years to carve his niche in Bollywood. He began his career working for his father’s Prithvi Theatre as a junior artiste at a monthly salary of Rs 50. Like any other employee, he went for a job change after four years of experience while drawing a salary of Rs 300 in 1952.

Shammi Kapoor was always ahead of the times be it his flair for technology or his directorial ventures. He was one of the first celebrities to have mastered the internet. He was the Founder and Chairman of Internet Users Community of India and put in a lot of efforts to enable the setting up of Ethical Hackers Association. The actor himself maintained a website dedicated to the Kapoor family and updated information about all the members of the family from the eldest to the youngest. He also kept in touch with his fans through the site.

Unlike the present scenario, film actors in '60s and '70s did not perform live on stage and hesitated before taking on the dance floor with a bevy of supporting dancers in the background. Never the one to shy away from breaking conventions, Shammi kapoor took to the dance floor with a vengeance. His moves were often referred to as ‘gardan tod’ (neck-breaking). He never needed a choreographer, preferring to make his own dance steps along the way. His dancing skills coupled with the cool, swept back hair, led to him being dubbed as the Elvis Presley of India.

Shammi Kapoor reached the pinnacle of success with several blockbuster films that he delivered over the decades. After his heydays were long past, the actor still kept acting in films, choosing character roles over mainstream ones. After playing a romantic hero for the last time in Andaz in 1971, Shammi was seen in a different avatar in films like Zameer, Hero, Vidhaata, Hukumat, Batwara, Tahalka, Chamatkar, Namak and Prem Granth.

Change is the essence of life and Shammi Kapoor was not averse to it. Shammi, who starred opposite Saira Banu in her debut film Junglee in 1961 and romanced her in Bluff Master, went on to play her father a decade later in Zameer in 1974. Not only this, he also played fifteen years younger Amitabh Bachchan’s father in Parvarish.

Shammi Kapoor met Geeta Bali in 1955 on the sets of Rangeen Raaten in which she had a guest appearance. They married just four months after meeting each other. However, Geeta passed away due to small pox in 1965. The couple had two children - 9 year-old son Aditya Raj Kapoor and 4 year-old daughter Kanchan. This affected Shammi deeply and he sunk into severe depression. Shammi then married actress Neila Devi four years later in 1969 on the condition that she would never have children, to focus on Shammi and Geeta’s kids. Neila kept her promise and went on to become their real mom.