Today is known actor Shammi Kapoor’s demise anniversary. He and his movies are being remembered throughout the nation. On today, not solely his followers but additionally his co-stars, corresponding to Asha Parekh, remembered him.
In dialog with SpotboyE, Asha stated, “But Shammi Kapoor was my favourite. He was everybody’s favourite.” Asha Parekh recalls, “When he came into a project he brought with himself a universe of creativity and not just as an actor. Shammi Chacha, that’s what I called him from Day 1, was not only an actor, he was also a terrific filmmaker and musician. Like his elder brother Raj Kapoor Saab, Shammi Chacha had a very keen ear for music. A lot of the music we heard in his films were Shammi Chacha’s tunes,”
When requested about stories that Shammi needed Waheeda Rehman to star beside him in ‘Dil Deke Dekho,’ she stated, “I have no idea about this. Waheeda is a very close friend. But we’ve never discussed this. We don’t talk cinema when we meet.” Parekh adds, “Dil Deke Dekho was special. It was my first film as a leading lady. I had earlier done films as a child. It was also the film that gave Shammi Chacha his new image as the Rebel Star, the Indian Elvis Presley.” “People just went crazy over him. They also liked our pairing. We then went on to do Teesri Manzil which was one of the biggest hits of both Shammi Chacha and my career.”
“I think Shammi Chacha wanted Shankar-Jaikishan to do the music. Nasir Saab was keen to give R D Burman a chance. Shammi Chacha heard RD’s songs and readily agreed. Our songs in Teesri Manzil like O Mere Sona Re, O Haseena Zulfon Wali and Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera are hummed to this day. The solo Tumne Mujhe Dekha Hoke Meherbaan by Rafi Saab was very special. It was filmed after shooting was stopped when Shammi Chacha’s wife Geeta Bali
suddenly passed away. We resumed with this subdued song. I remember we were all moist-eyed while shooting this song.”
She talked about, “Pagla Kahin Ka’, directed by Shakti Samanta is a favourite of mine. Shammi Chacha played a man who has a nervous breakdown after his girlfriend ditches him. I played the doctor who heals him. We had an amazing song in the film ‘Tum Mujhe Yun Bhula Na Paoge’. Indeed, it’s impossible to forget what Shammi Chacha meant to Hindi cinema. He had his own style, his own rhythm in the songs that he danced to on-screen and in the way he led his life.”
For the unversed, legendary actor Shammi Kapoor died on 14th august 2011.
