The undisputed king of 'yodelling', legendary actor, Shammi Kapoor had introduced the Indian cinema to a different kind of hero by not complying with the conventional parameters. Despite which, he had gone on to become so successful and popular that his name is written in golden letters in the history of Indian cinema. Son of Prithviraj Kapoor and brother of Raj Kapoor, the 'yahoo' sensation, late actor, Shammi Kapoor had made his own identity, even after being in the shadows of such legends. (Recommended Read: Sidharth Shukla Asks Gauahar Khan To Not Touch Him, Says He Has A GF, 'Sidnaaz' Fans Go Crazy)
Today, we're celebrating the legendary actor's 89th birth anniversary. On Shammi Kapoor's birth anniversary, SpotboyE talked to his son, Aditya Raj Kapoor, who shared a lot of interesting and precious anecdotes from the legendary actor's life. Scroll down to know about the craze of Shammi Kapoor and how his fans had made a show at his funeral!
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Aditya Raj Kapoor talked about his legendary father, Shammi Kapoor's funeral, which was attended by the entire Kapor clan and said, "You've no idea what happened when we took my father's body to the cremation ground. God bless the administration for a supreme bandobast in spite of it being 15th of August. I wanted my father to be cremated at Ban Ganga because my mother (Geeta Bali) was cremated there. The send-off was unbelievable. And the whole Kapoor clan coming together as one family...Who but Shammi Kapoor could've managed this feat!"
He further added how his father's iconic song was playing on loud-speakers for his send-off. He was quoted as saying, "Chahe Mujhe Koi Junglee Kahe was being played for the final send-off. The funeral process was going very slowly because of the number of people. People peeped into the ambulance, threw flowers inside and said 'Yahoo'. I am a deeply spiritual man. I realised the power of mantra long ago. I realised that my father's mantra was 'Yahoo'. At that moment it dawned upon me...what being Shammi Kapoor's son really meant."
Remembering how his father, Shammi Kapoor's fans would his songs for him anywhere he went, he said, "There's a black-and-white photograph we put up for the Chautha. It was the first picture of my dad, taken when we moved into the house where I now live. We moved in when I was 3-years-old after his first flush of success with the release of Tumsa Nahin Dekha. Looking at that photograph, I remembered how much fun I had going for the shoots with him. Even while I was away from home, people on the roads, wherever I was, would sing his songs for me. When I was driving down to the cremation ground with his body, people on the way had put his songs on loudspeakers."
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Remembering his time at boarding school, Aditya recalled how his father would come every year for the Founder's Day of the school. He said, "When I was six, my parents did the wisest thing. They got me admitted into a boarding school, Lawrence School in Sanawar. Dad came every year for Founders Day." Recalling how Shammi ji barely had time for his son, as he had become immensely successful, Aditya continued, "Dad had become so successful he had no time for me. Superstars today have organised lives. In my father's time, fans had no access to him through the Internet, television or magazines. They'd barge into our home at any time. I was left with no space that I could call my own with my father." (Also Read: Divya Agarwal Seeks Prayers For Her Father's Health As He Fights With COVID, Pens Her Struggles)
Aditya Raj Kapoor further talked about how his father had left a 'manual' for him to follow and had given him the freedom to choose a career of his choice. He said, "Circumstances forced me to direct 300 episodes for a TV serial. I directed my first English-language film, followed by two others. When I returned to Mumbai at the age of 52, I became an actor...finally. My father watched every single shot of mine in promos, trailers, films. At the age of 76, he played the role of my career guide and mentor...a role he would've played when I was 19 had I not left the film industry. The cycle was complete. My father allowed me to go wherever I wanted and do whatever I wished. Today I've allowed both my children the same freedom. My father wrote the manual for us to follow."
Aditya Raj Kapoor expressed how he feels that his father, Shammi Kapoor cannot be compared to anyone and said, "Nothing can compare with my father. I once told my Dad I look, walk and talk like him. But for my acting, I want to be compared to my mother (Geeta Bali). Now, I can only try to be a good human being." (Don't Miss: Gauahar Khan And Zaid Darbar Are Serious And Are Getting Married, Hints Zaid's Dad, Ismail Darbar?)
We remember Shammi ji on his birthday!
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