Shashi Kapoor was an Indian actor and film producer who is best known for his work in Hindi films. A recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards, he also featured in a number of English-language international films, particularly films produced by Merchant Ivory.
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Balbir Prithviraj Kapoor |
| Nickname | Taxi |
| Profession(s) | Actor, Filmmaker |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 175 cm in meters- 1.75 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 9” |
| Weight (approx.) | in Kilograms- 85 kg in Pounds- 187 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | White |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 18 March 1938 |
| Date of Death | 4 December 2017 |
| Death Cause | Liver Cirrhosis and Kidney Failure |
| Age (at the time of death) | 79 Years |
| Birth Place | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Place of Death | Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Pisces |
| Signature | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| School | Don Bosco High School, Mumbai |
| College | N/A |
| Educational Qualification | School Dropout |
| Debut | Film– Aag (1948, as a child artist) Dharamputra (1961, in a lead role) Direction– Ajooba (1991) Production– Junoon (1978) TV– Gulliver’s Travels (1996, British/American TV series) |
| Family | Father– Prithviraj Kapoor (Actor, Filmmaker, Writer) Mother– Ramsarni Mehra Kapoor Brothers– Late Raj Kapoor (Elder, Actor), Shammi Kapoor (Elder, Actor) Sister– Urmila Sial Kapoor |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Address | A bungalow in Juhu, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Playing musical instruments, Listening to music, Watching movies |
| Awards, Honours | 1976– Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film ‘Deewar’ 1979– National Film Award for Best Feature Film In Hindi (as a Producer) for the film ‘Junoon’ 1986– National Film Award for Best Actor the film ‘New Delhi Times’ 1994– National Film Award – Special Jury Award/Special Mention (Feature Film) for the film ‘Muhafiz’ 2011– Padma Bhushan 2015– Dadasaheb Phalke Award |
| Controversy | His 1972 flick ‘Siddhartha’ alongside, Simi Garewal stirred controversy due to their intimate scenes. |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Food | Prawn and Crab Curry |
| Favourite Quote | “It will be a great achievement for mankind when a man finally learns to become a human.” |
| Favourite Musical Instruments | Piano |
| Favourite Actor | Prithviraj Kapoor |
| Favourite Actress | Nanda |
| Favourite Chef | Meena Pinto |
| Girls, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status (at the time of death) | Widower |
| Affair/Girlfriend | Jennifer Kendal |
| Wife/Spouse | Jennifer Kendal (m. 1958-1984; till her death) |
| Children | Sons– Karan Kapoor (Photographer), Kunal Kapoor (Ad Maker) Daughter– Sanjana Kapoor (Entrepreneur) |
| Money Factor | |
| Net Worth (approx.) | ₹500 Crore |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Shashi Kapoor
- Did Shashi Kapoor smoke?: No
- Did Shashi Kapoor drink alcohol?: Yes
- Shashi was sent to a boarding school at a very young age, where he felt inconvenient regarding his food. One day, Shashi wrote a letter to his mother complaining about the food of the school and said that he would commit suicide if he would receive this kind of food. In the wake of it, Shashi came out of boarding school.
- In his childhood, Shashi Kapoor acted in plays, directed and produced by his father Prithviraj Kapoor.
- In the late 1940s, as a child actor, Shashi played many roles in movies. His best-known performance as a child actor was in Awaara (1951), where he played the younger version of the Raj Kapoor.
- Shashi started his career with Dharmaputra in 1961. After that, he was starred in multifarious movies like Deewar, Kabhi Kabhi, Baseraa, Namak Halaal, Waqt, Trishul, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Suhag, etc. These all were blockbusters.
- Raj Kapoor gave him the nickname “Taxi” due to various reasons. Firstly, due to the busy shooting schedules, Shashi used to sleep in his car or a taxi. Secondly, he always looked like running away in a taxi. And, thirdly, he had a habit of picking & dropping his co-actors in his car or taxi.
- From 1970-1975, he, along with Dev Anand tied as the 2nd highest paid actor after Rajesh Khanna.
- His iconic dialogue “Mere Paas Maa Hai” from the film ‘Deewar’ (1975), made him immortal.
- In 1978, he acquired and re-opened ‘Prithvi Theatre’ in Juhu, and became its Managing Trustee.
- In 1991, he tried his hand in direction too. The first film in his direction was Ajooba that starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Sharing a story from the sets, Amitabh Bachchan said in an interview with Mumbai Mirror, “He moved around the set with a stick in his hand, with the intention of using it on anyone who misbehaved. But he never used it! He was one director who cared immensely for his artists and technicians, on an equal plane.”
- In an Interview with Mumbai Mirror, Indian actress Shabana Azmi revealed that Shashi Kapoor put his money only in theatre and cinema, over other commercial businesses. Sharing an anecdote Shabana said, “When we went for the Moscow Film Festival, with just eight dollars in foreign exchange, we were all trapped for cash. But despite the presence of bigwigs like FC Mehra and Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor paid the bill.”
- He never worked on Sundays as he spent the entire day with the family.
- Shashi considered his father as his role model.
- Once, Amitabh Bachchan saved his life when he was conducting a show at Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai. He was in a wheelchair due to his fractured leg, and suddenly the hall caught fire, which caused a rush. He screamed for help, but no one responded. Then Amitabh Bachchan came and rescued him.