Shashi Kapoor was one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema, who could easily woo anyone with his dashing personality. He was well known for his enchanting looks and exceptional acting skills. Shashi acted in more than 174 films in his glorious career spanning over six decades. He made his debut as an actor in the 1961 film, Dharmputra, following which he featured in numerous films like Sharmeelee, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Dil Ne Pukara, Haseena Maan Jayegi, Kanyadaan, Pyar Ka Mausam, and Bombay Talkie among others.
Shashi Kapoor got married to English actress, Jennifer Kendal in 1958 at the age of 20, when she was only 25 years old. Shashi reportedly met Jennifer in Calcutta while working for a theatre group and wanted to marry her when he was 18, but his father, Prithviraj Kapoor, thought his son was too young to marry. Two years later, the duo got married and were blessed with three kids, Kunal, Karan and Sanjana.
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Jennifer Kendal passed away in 1984 after being diagnosed with colon cancer, and her demise left Shashi devastated. However, Shashi never remarried after Jennifer’s death. In one of his last interviews, the actor opened up about his love for his wife, Jennifer and revealed why he never thought of getting married after her death. He was heard saying:
“Oh Christ, no! I didn’t. Why? I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can find anyone better. I know I can’t.”
In the same interview, Shashi Kapoor also recalled Jennifer Kendal's influence on his illustrious career in films. During the 70s, the actor was not satisfied with his career graph and used to seek advice from his wife. Speaking along the same lines, he revealed that she had advised him to build a theatre, which they had named Prithvi. In his words:
“She asked me to do what I wanted to do. So we built a theatre (Prithvi), and I made Junoon, Kalyug, 36 Chowringhee Lane, Vijayta, and Utsav. They bombed!”
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Late actor, Shashi Kapoor didn't have any work or money in the late '60s and experienced a financial crisis. In an interview with Rediff.com in 2017, Shashi's son, Kunal Kapoor said that his father had to sell his sports car, and Shashi's wife and Kunal's mother, Jennifer Kendal, had also started selling things because of the same. He added that after the 1971 film, Sharmeelee, their situation had changed for the better. In his words:
"In the late '60s, he did not have any work. We saw a lot of him then. That was also the time we discovered Goa. He sold his sports car. Mum also started selling things because we didn't have money. After Sharmeelee (1971), things changed again. There have been many ups and downs, but it never bothered us."
Shashi Kapoor passed away on December 4, 2017, at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness due to liver cirrhosis.
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