Shammi Kapoor a modern Indian rebel star 1

I watched the programmes of tv which naturally centred around Shammi Kapoor with interest. Two things were noticeable- first, the capacity of SK film persona to survive all these years as if not much has changed since good old 60s and the second, the simplicity that comes with SK while he looked back. This can not be part of any big star- be it the greatest Dilip Kumar (most articulate but never simple), most successful hero Amitabh (whose approach is professional), Devanand (the debonair hero but too modern to be simple). He was perhaps the only big superstar who took his going away of stardom with relative empathy.

What is amazing that that man was so full of life and so down to earth at the same time. He has a huge sense of gratitude. The way he remembered his colleagues and contemporaried is noteworthy. In one of the best interviews of SK , Vinod Dua asked some interesting questions and he responded very nicely.Two interesting episodes which Dua made him to narrate were very absorbing. First, how he married Gita Bali. Shammi was so genuine in saying that he was dating with Gita for three months and he was persuading her to marry him. She was not saying yes. (My God ! how could a lady say no to Shammi Kapoor). One day she said- 'Chalo shadi karte hain, abhi' and at 10.30 in the night they went to a temple. The priest said to them that the God was sleeping and they could marry in the morning. They came back , had their dinner and went to the temple at 4.30 in the morning and became husband and wife! Gita Bali told him to put  lipstick in his 'mang' for 'sindoor' (vermillion)! The second episode was equally interesting: Shammi Kapoor was in the second row of a flight and he was singing an old song of 1948. Much to his surprise he found a lady voice was coming from the front row. When he looked at the lady he found it was Lata Mangeshkar ! She said' Do you think others do not k now this song ?"

How people can be so good ! The time may change but these greats would be there with us.

[ I had written a longer piece and suddenly the text turned into garbage. I wish to continue this note]