10 Unknown Facts about 'The Elvis Presley of Bollywood' Shammi Kapoor
Shammi Kapoor, a famed Indian actor, is often referred to as the country's most entertaining performer. However, Jeewan Jyoti (1953), the superstar's first film, was a major flop at box office. Yet he went on to have a successful acting career.
Shammi Kapoor's stardom rose in 1957 with the release of Tumsa Nahin Dekha, a film in which he played the lead role. Shammi Kapoor has had a long and varied acting career, but his portrayal as 'Chandra Shekhar' in the blockbuster Junglee (1961) sealed his reputation as one of the greatest actors of all time.
Over the course of his illustrious career, he appeared in more than 200 films. But today, we're focusing on his personal life, which is nothing less than a Bollywood film. The more we learn about him, the more we fall in love with him as an actor and as a human being alike. So, even some of Shammi Kapoor's most ardent admirers may be surprised to learn about these little-known facts about his life.
1) Although known to the world as Shammi Kapoor, his actual name is very different:
He was born Shamsher Raj Kapoor in Bombay to Prithiviraj Kapoor and his wife, Ramsharni Kapoor, on October 21, 1931, and went by Shammi Kapoor once he entered the Indian film industry.
2) For Shammi Kapoor, Kolkata will always be home:
Shammi Kapoor grew up in Calcutta, despite the fact that he was born in Bombay (now Mumbai). His father, Prithviraj Kapoor, was working at New Theatres Studios in Calcutta at the time, and the actor completed his Montessori and kindergarten education in the ‘City of Joy’.
2) Shammi Kapoor was paid Rs. 50 a day At the Prithvi Theatres:
As the son of legendary actor Prithviraj Kapoor, the young Shammi Kapoor took a brave and inspiring move by working as a junior artist for a monthly pay of Rs 50. After a four-year battle, the actor was finally able to earn Rs 300 per month in 1952, and he was overjoyed, as any employee would be.
3) Shammi Kapoor and Nutan's love story:
When Shammi Kapoor and Nutan were children, they lived next door to each other in a small town in India. Shammi and Nutan were said to have been in love since childhood and to have felt secure in their relationship because of the deep ties between their families. But when Nutan first told her mother about Shammi, her mother disputed the story and sent her to study in Switzerland instead. After that, they were done together as a couple for good.
4) Shammi Kapoor fell in love with a belly dancer named Nadia Gamal:
Nadia Gamal, a belly dancer, caught Shammi Kapoor's attention when he traveled to Sri Lanka to watch a cricket match in 1953. Shammi Kapoor decided to catch a cabaret show in his hotel one day during their stay. The best cabaret performer in the world when he met her was Nadia Gamal.
Shammi Kapoor, then 22, was enamored by Nadia Gamal's attractiveness and couldn't resist proposing to her, despite the five-year age gap. After the dancer had mentioned that he would have to wait at least five years because she was still a child, and if they still had feelings for each other, they would absolutely get married. Despite their commitment to keep in touch, the two had broken their promise after returning to their respective nations and the events in Sri Lanka had remained in Sri Lanka.
5) Geeta Bali, Shammi Kapoor's first wife.
Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali wed in a spontaneous ceremony at the Banganga Temples in Mumbai on August 24, 1955. Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali welcomed their first children, Aditya Raj and Kanchan, in 1956 and 1961, respectively. The sad news is that Geeta Bali died of smallpox on January 21, 1965.
6) Neila Devi, second wife of Shammi Kapoor.
Shammi Kapoor, devastated by the death of Geeta Bali, married Neila Devi, the sister of Raghuvir Singh, on January 27, 1969. Shammi Kapoor was 10 years older than Neila Devi. Shammi Kapoor's children, Aditya Raj Kapoor and Kanchan Kapoor, from his first marriage with Geeta Bali, were the reason Neila Devi opted not to have children of her own.
7) Shammi Kapoor’s devotion to Haidakhan Baba:
Yes! As if that wasn't enough, Indian cinema's first superstar was a devotee of Haidakhan Baba. As a religious guru known for his teachings around the world, Haidakhan Baba was a well-known religious guru of that time. From 1970 till his death in 1984, he had been spreading his message of love and unity.
8) Shammi Kapoor 'The Elvis Presley Of Bollywood:
Shammi Kapoor, dubbed "Bollywood's Elvis Presley," used to choreograph his dancing moves on his own, though he did need a choreographer on a few times during his career.
His dancing, on the other hand, was very similar to that of the legendary Elvis Presley. Shammi has been dubbed "The Elvis Presley of Bollywood" because of the resemblance between their dance moves while performing a song.
9) Shammi Kapoor the Founder of the Internet Users Community of India:
Founded by Shammi Kapoor, the Internet Users Community of India (IUCI) is named after her.
Shammi, who has always had a deep interest in technology, was one of the first Indian celebrities to get access to and mastery of the internet at that time. As chairman and founder of the Internet Users' Community of India, the actor's expertise on the Internet soared. An Ethical Hackers Association in India was also founded by the actor.
For his charisma, vibrant personality, and outstanding acting abilities, Shammi Kapoor will be forever remembered.
Also Read: Revisiting ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’: How Raj Kapoor Made An Entire Film On Just One Song