RICH TRIBUTE PAID TO VETERAN ACTOR SHAMMI KAPOOR

RICH TRIBUTE PAID TO VETERAN ACTOR SHAMMI KAPOOR

Shammi Kapoor, the dancing star of the 1950s and 1960s who revolutionised the image of Hindi film heroes with his carefree and flamboyance, died   in Mumbai, Sunday morning. On 14^th August,2011. He was 79. His son Aditya Raj Kapoor said the funeral is set for Monday,15^th August,2011, as the family is awaiting the arrival of the legend's grandson, Vishwapratap Raj Kapoor.  We are basically waiting for my son to come from America. He will reach Mumbai tonight (Sunday). He left yesterday (Saturday) night. That time we had told him that dad is very critical. But before he could make it here, dad passed away,' said Aditya who was at his father's side when he breathed his last.

A member of the famed Kapoor family, the actor passed away at the Breach Candy Hospital at 5 a.m. He was admitted to the hospital a week ago for renal failure. He was the second of three sons born to the iconic Prithviraj Kapoor. His equally versatile actor brothers were Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor. While struggling to create a niche for himself in the filmdom, which used to vouch for his legendary father and talented elder brother Raj, Shammi met Geeta Bali in 1955 on the sets of 'Rangeen Raaten' and four months later they tied the knot. They had a son, Aditya, and a daughter, Kanchan.  Geeta died of smallpox in 1965, leaving Shammi with two small children. In 1969, he married Neela Devi Gohil from the erstwhile royal family of Bhavnagar in Gujarat. 

Aditya remembers his father as a 'happy and lively person' and has hoped his fans will pray his soul rests in peace. He was a very happy and lively person. His life was going good. But he was on dialasis and he died of kidney failure. 'He was unwell for sometime... please pray that his soul rests in peace. I miss him and I know so will you,' he told reporters at the Blue Haven Society in Malabar Hill in south Mumbai.

'Today is family day. People will come and see him. Tomorrow(15^th,August,2011) morning around 9 a.m. we will cremate him at the Ban Ganga funeral ground.'Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Imran Khan and his wife Avantika, Farah Khan and industrialist Anil Ambani arrived at the Kapoor residence at the Blue Haven Society to pay their last respects to the departed soul. Shammi Kapoor joined the cinema world in 1948 as a junior artist for Rs.150 a month. His debut in Bollywood came in 1953 with the film 'Jeevan Jyoti'. In a career that stretched into the 1970s, the tall, athletic and green-eyed hero had his share of struggle before he made it big. And his recipe to the success was his makeover as a flamboyant yet lovable lover boy who would twist and turn his body in amazing way in his dance numbers and had the girls swooning over him.Thanks to the freshness and style, Shammi managed to deliver big hits like 'An Evening in Paris', 'China Town', 'Kashmir Ki Kali', 'Janwar' and 'Junglee'.

Shammi was also a very religious person and in one of his interviews he had said that it was the influence of his mother Ramsarni 'Rama' Mehra who first taught him to chant the 'Gayatri Mantra'. 'I am a very religious person and right from the time i was very young, my mother used to teach me the 'Gayatri Mantra'. I must have been eight-nine years old that time,' Shammi said in his official voice blog adding that there used to regular puja and dstribution of 'prasad' on Tuesdays at his home.  His second wife Neela used to believe in Baba Haidakhanwale and she was the one who introduced him to his guru. His funeral will take place tomorrow(15-08-2011) in south Mumbai, after his grandson returns from the US. 'The funeral will take place tomorrow at around 9 am at the Ban Ganga funeral ground,' Aditya said. amily members, friends, several Bollywood personalitiesincluding Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Anil Ambani visited Kapoor's residence Blue Heaven at Malabar Hill after learning of his demise. His death was mourned by Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar, Yash Chopra, Anupam Kher, Mahesh Bhatt, Sharmila Tagore, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. Shamsher Raj Kapoor was born on 21 October 1931 to Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Mehra. With the demiseof Shammi, only Shashi is left of the famous brother trio. Before rising on the film firmament, Shammi Kapoor had his share of struggles despite coming from an illustrious film family. His popularity soared after his image makeover - he ruled the 1950s and 1960s as a leading star and people loved him for his dancing and flamboyance.

Shammi Kapoor's filmography:

1953- 'Thokar',1953- 'Rail Ka Dibba',1953- 'Laila Majnu',1953- 'Khoj',1953- 'Jeewan Jyoti'1953- 'Gul Sanobar',1954- 'Shama Parwana',1954- 'Mehbooba',1954- 'Ehsan'1954- 'Chor Bazar'1955- 'Tangewali'
1955- 'Naqab',1956- 'Rangin Raaten',1956- 'Mem Sahib',1956- 'Hum Sab Chor Hain,1957- 'Tumsa Nahin Dekha',1957- 'Maharani'1957- 'Coffee House',1958- 'Criminal',1959- 'Ujala',1959- 'Raat Ke Rahi',1959- 'Dil Deke Dekho',1959- 'Char Dil Char Raahein',1960- 'College Girl',1961- 'Junglee',1961- 'Boy Friend'

1962- 'Vallah Kya Baat Hai',1962- 'Professor',1962- 'Dil Tera Diwana'1962- 'China Town'1963- 'Shaheed Bhagat Singh',1963- 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya',1963- 'Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai',1963- 'Bluff Master'1964- 'Kashmir Ki Kali',1964- 'Rajkumar',1965- 'Janwar',1966- 'Teesri Manzil',1966- 'Preet Na Jane Reet',1966- 'Budtameez',1967- 'Latt Saheb',1967- 'An Evening in Paris',1968- 'Brahmachari',1969- 'Tumse Achha Kaun Hai'1969- 'Sachaai',1969- 'Prince',1970- 'Pagla Kahin Ka',1971- 'Jawan Muhabat'
1971- 'Andaz',1971- 'Jaane-Anjaane',1971- 'Preetam',1974- 'Chhote Sarkar',1975- 'Zameer',1977- 'Mama Bhanja',1977- 'Parvarish',1978- 'Shalimar',1979- 'Meera',1979- 'Ahsaas',1981- 'Armaan'1981- 'Ahista Ahista' 1981- 'Harjaee',1981- 'Professor Pyarelal',1982- 'Vidhaata',1982- 'Prem Rog',1982- 'Desh Premee'
1982- 'Yeh Vaada Raha',1983- 'Betaab',1983- 'Ek Jaan Hain Hum',1983- 'Hero'1984- 'Wanted: Dead or Alive',1984- 'Aan Aur Shaan',1985- 'Baadal',1985- 'Sohni Mahiwal',1985- 'Ek Se Bhale Do',1985- 'Balidaan',1986- 'Allah-Rakha',1986- 'Karamdaata',1986- 'Kala Dhanda Goray Log',1987- 'Himmat Aur Mehanat',1987- 'Hukumat',1987- 'Ijaazat',1989- 'Batwara',1989- 'Daata'1989- 'Bade Ghar Ki Beti'
1989- 'Mohabat Ka Paigham'1991- 'Lakshmanrekha'1991- 'Ajooba'1991- 'Mast Kalandar'
1992- 'Heer Ranjha',1992- 'Humshakal',1992- 'Chamatkar',1992- 'Tahalka',1992- 'Khuleaam'1993- 'Aaja Meri Jaan',1993- 'Gardish',1993- 'Dosti Ki Saugandh',1993- 'Tum Karo Vaada',1994- 'Prem Rog'1994- 'Pyar Ka Rog',1994- 'Vivekananda'1995- 'Rock Dancer1996- 'Prem Granth',1996- 'Namak'1997- 'Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya',1997- 'Share Bazaar',1998- 'Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge!',1998- 'Kareeb',1999- 'Jaanam Samjha Karo',2001- 'Censor'2002- 'Yeh Hai Jalwa',2006- 'Sandwich'2011- 'Rockstar'

                                                                                        Prof. John Kurakar