Shashi Kapoor began his career as a child actor in his brother Raj Kapoor's directorial Aag, and had his first role as an adult in Yash Chopra's political drama Dharmputra.
36 Facts About Shashi Kapoor
2.
Shashi Kapoor was born as Balbir Raj Kapoor to Prithviraj Kapoor and his wife in Calcutta, British India, on 18 March 1938.
3.
Shashi Kapoor was the youngest brother of Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor.
4.
Shashi Kapoor acted in plays, directed and produced by his father Prithviraj Shashi Kapoor, while travelling with Prithvi Theatres.
5.
Shashi Kapoor started acting in films as a child in the late 1940s under the name of Shashiraj, as there was already another actor by the same name who used to act in mythological films as a child artiste.
6.
Shashi Kapoor worked in four Hindi films as a child artiste from 1948 to 1954.
7.
Shashi Kapoor got an opportunity to work as an assistant director in the film Post Box 999, the debut film of Sunil Dutt, and worked as an assistant director to Ravindra Dave in Guest House, which was followed by movies such as Dulha Dulhan and Shriman Satyawadi, where Raj Shashi Kapoor was the lead hero.
8.
Shashi Kapoor made his debut as a leading man in the 1961 film Dharmputra and went on to appear in 116 Hindi films, including 61 films as the solo lead hero and 55 multi star-cast films, 21 films as supporting actor and special appearances in 7 films.
9.
Shashi Kapoor was a very popular actor in Bollywood during the 60s, 70s and until the mid-80s.
10.
Shashi Kapoor was one of India's first actors to go international.
11.
Shashi Kapoor formed on screen pairs with Raakhee, Sharmila Tagore and Zeenat Aman from the late sixties to the mid eighties.
12.
Shashi Kapoor acted opposite actresses Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, and Moushumi Chatterjee in many films.
13.
Shashi Kapoor starred with Sharmila Tagore in hits such as Waqt, Aamne Samne, Suhana Safar, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Vachan, Paap Aur Punya, Swati, the critically acclaimed New Delhi Times, which fetched Kapoor a National Film Award for Best Actor in 1986.
14.
Shashi Kapoor worked with Rajesh Khanna in Prem Kahani.
15.
Shashi Kapoor did two 'double role' films, both of which were box-office hits - Haseena Maan Jayegi and Shankar Dada.
16.
Shashi Kapoor did a song number in Shankar Dada, a box-office hit, dressed up as a female.
17.
Shashi Kapoor made a popular pairing with Amitabh Bachchan and the two co-starred in a total of 12 films: Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Deewaar, Kabhi Kabhie, Trishul, Kaala Patthar, Suhaag and Namak Halaal were hits, while Immaan Dharam, Shaan, Do Aur Do Paanch, Silsila and Akayla were flops.
18.
Shashi Kapoor was known internationally for starring in British and American films, notably Merchant Ivory productions run by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, such as The Householder, Shakespeare Wallah, Bombay Talkie and Heat and Dust, in which he co-starred with his wife Jennifer Kendal, The Deceivers and Side Streets.
19.
Shashi Kapoor starred in other British and American films, such as Pretty Polly opposite Hayley Mills, Siddhartha, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid and Muhafiz.
20.
Shashi Kapoor was the first Indian actor to work extensively in Hollywood films and British films.
21.
Shashi Kapoor was the 2nd highest paid Hindi film actor, sharing the spot with Dev Anand from 1970 to 1975, and the 3rd third highest paid Hindi actor, sharing space with Vinod Khanna from 1976 to 1982.
22.
Shashi Kapoor has been the solo hero more times and as a lead protagonist in more Hindi films than his nephews Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv and even more than his brothers Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and more than his grand-nephews and grand-nieces.
23.
Shashi Kapoor accepted very few roles as a character actor in films since 1987.
24.
Shashi Kapoor acted with Pierce Brosnan in The Deceivers.
25.
Shashi Kapoor collaborated with Sudesh Issar in 1989 for the movie titled Akhri Muqabla.
26.
Shashi Kapoor requested Amitabh Bachchan to star in his ambitious directorial debut film Ajooba.
27.
Shashi Kapoor won a National Award for his performance in the 1993 film In Custody and played the Rajah in the TV adaptation of Gulliver's Travels.
28.
Shashi Kapoor was seen in the limelight at the Shashi Kapoor Film Festival held in Muscat, Oman.
29.
At the 55th Annual Filmfare Awards in 2010, Shashi Kapoor received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.
30.
Shashi Kapoor met English actress Jennifer Kendal in Calcutta in 1956 while both were working for their respective theatre groups.
31.
Shashi Kapoor was both assistant stage manager as well as an actor for his father's theatre group, Prithvi Theatre.
32.
Jennifer and Shashi Kapoor established Prithvi Theatre on 5 November 1978 in Mumbai.
33.
Shashi Kapoor's daughter Sanjana, is a theatre personality and married to wildlife conservationist Valmik Thapar.
34.
Shashi Kapoor was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital, Versova, Mumbai, for what was speculated to be chest infection, and died on 4 December 2017.
35.
When Shashi Kapoor was in Kolkata to work, he could be found at room number 17 at Fairlawn Hotel.
36.
Shashi Kapoor was a guest alongside her family who owned a theatre company named Shakespeareana, which produced Shakespeare plays across India.