Happy birthday to Shashi Kapoor

Happy birthday to Shashi Kapoor.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shashi Kapoor on 18th March, 2009. Shashi Kapoor, the son of Prithviraj Kapoor, and younger brother of Raj Kapoor, had acting in his blood. He performed in Prithvi Theatres at an early age.

He even acted in Raj Kapoor’s films Awara and Aag, as a child artist. He in fact played the younger stage of Raj Kapoor in those films as he was 15 years younger than Raj Kapoor. In the early 60s he acted in a number of black and white films including Prem Patra with Sadhna.

He established himself in bollywood films with his performance in the film Jab Jab Phool Khilen with Nanda in the mid-60s. From that time a successful team was created and both Shashi Kapoor and Nanda acted in films like Needh Hamari Khwab Tumhari, Mohabbat Isi Ko Kehte Hai, etc. Shashi Kapoor was blessed with successful songs of Mohammad Rafi in those films including “pardesiwon se na akhiyan milana”, “yahan mai ajnabee hoon”, “theriye hosh me aloon”, etc.

Shashi Kapoor acted in multistarrer films like Waqt in the mid-60s with Raj Kumar and Sunil Dutt and kept his mark in the respective role. In the 70s, after the emergence of Amitabh Bacchan, bollywood films took a turn. Directors and producers instead of making romantic films, started concentrating on anti-establishment films.

In that era, Shashi Kapoor acted with Amitabh Bacchan in many films. The combination was sublime in the film Deewar, where Big B was smuggler and Shashi Kapoor was a police officer. Shashi Kapoor’s dialogue “mere pass ma hai” still is remembered by numerous film lovers even today. Where Big B concentrated on action sequences, Shashi Kapoor played the role of soft, romantic actor in those films.

Shashi Kapoor’s other successful films with Amitabh Bacchan include Shaan, Kabhi Kabhi, Trishul, Iman Dharam, Suhaag, to name a few. Most of these films ended up being blockbusters.

Although Shashi Kapoor was not a trend-setter like Raj Kapoor who was considered showman in the 50s, or Shammi Kapoor, who brought the rock-and-roll trend in the 60s, his presence was felt in the 60s and 70s. Shashi Kapoor’s film Pyar Kiye Ja, Sharmilee, Chor Machaye Shor, did moderate business at the box-office.

Besides Shashi Kapoor had produced films for Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalini, and those films were appreciated by the intellectual audience. The films included Junoon and Vijeta, where Shashi Kapoor also himself acted.

In the mid-80s, Shashi Kapoor did put on a lot of weight and faded away from the film industry. But whenever viewers watch him in Ismail Merchant’s films and other films, his appearance reminds everyone about his association with the Kapoor family, the royal family which had contributed actors, producers and directors, for four generations.

Nanda – the soft actress of bollywood.

Nanda – the soft actress of bollywood.

Nanda, is known for her soft performance in notable bollywood films of the 60s and 70s. She acted as the wife of military major played by Dev Anand in the film Hum Dono, where the major died, and another military officer, having resemblance with the major came to her house to give the news of his death. As her mother-in-law was blind and had no other bread-earner, Nanda asked the officer to pretend to be her son, as she was not strong enough to bear the news of his death. It was a very landmark film, with unique story having resemblance with Uttamkumar’s film Uttarayan. Nanda gave very impressive lips in Lata’s bhajan “allah tero naam”, composed by Jaidev in raag gour-sarang.

In the 60s, Nanda had acted in successful films opposite Shashi Kapoor, including Jab Jab Phool Khile, Neend Humari Khwab tumhari, Mohabbat is ko kehte hai, etc. The songs composed in these films by Kalyanji Anandji, Khayyam, and sung by Rafi, Lata, Suman Kalyanpur, were very unique, including “pardesiyon se na aankhiya milana”, “mai yaha ek ajnabi hun”, “theheriye hosh me aalun, to chale jaiyega”, etc.

In the film Gumman, in 1965, she transformed her docile image into stylish image and provided landmark performance opposite Manoj Kumar. It was crime-thriller, with 7 murders, and the actual criminal played by Tarun Bose, was detected at the end of the film. Shankar Jaikishan, as usual, had given memorable tunes including “gumnaam hai koi”, “ek ladki ne”, “jaan pehchaan ho”, “is duniya me jeena ho to”, “o mere maan”, etc. Nanda had balaned the strong performance of Helen, Pran, Mehmood and others in the film.

In the 70s, she was sublime in the serene performance in the film Shor, opposite Manoj Kumar, where she died, and her son was nurtured with her memory, although the film. The song “ek pyar ka nagma hai”, sung by Lata and Mukesh, composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal has become immortal with passage of time. Jaya Bachhan also performed well in the film. Nanda’s other notable films include The Train, and Joru ka ghulam, opposite Rajesh Khanna, and a familydrama titled Bhabi. If the films of the 60s and 70s involving soft romantic stories are remembered, Nanda’s performance will be adored as well, as the style of dialogue delivery was soft, unique and impressive.