This actor with brown eyes was ready to quit films after 19 flops, until a rejected role turned him into a superstar, his name is...
Yes. After four disappointing years in films, Shammi was growing fed up. Feeling stuck in the family shadow, even his marriage to Geeta Bali in 1955 didn't help — critics called him 'just Geeta Bali's husband.' He was so disenchanted he considered walking away—possibly to start anew as a tea-plantation manager in Assam. So how did he get the break that changed everything?
Here came the twist: filmmaker Nasir Hussain initially approached Dev Anand for a lead in Tumsa Nahin Dekha. When that couldn't happen, he offered the role to Sunil Dutt, who was unavailable. Someone suggested resisting fate: take Shammi Kapoor. Nasir hesitated—but trusted the advice of producer Shashadhar Mukherjee (Kajol's grandfather). Shammi got his shot and turned it into gold. What made Tumsa Nahin Dekha work?
On screen, everything clicked: Shammi's electric style, rhythmic dance, quirky dialogue delivery, and charismatic screen presence. Suddenly, the man once pegged as a flop became an overnight star. His look, his swagger, his energy—nothing like it existed before. No one could copy him; he became the trend. Did he continue his reign?
Absolutely. The next hit, Dil Deke Dekho, confirmed the trend. Then came Junglee (1961), a blockbuster also directed by Nasir. Over the next decade, Shammi delivered one hit after another: Professor, Bluff Master, Kashmir Ki Kali, Rajkumar, Janwar, Tisri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Brahmachari, Prince, Tumse Accha Kaun Hai, Andaaz. From 1961 to 1971, he was Bollywood's go-to romantic hero. Did things stay smooth forever?
No. In 1969, during the filming of Rajkumar, he was performing a stunt tied with ropes and an elephant. A fall shattered his knee—ending his dancing days. Weight gain and reduced mobility led to fewer hero roles. By the mid‑1970s, he shifted to character parts, starting with B.R. Chopra's Jameer (1975). He even clashed with Chopra over Gumrah, refusing to play a stereotypical husband giving way to an affair, saying 'if I'm the husband, how can he cheat?' The clash damaged that offer. What was his private life like?
Shammi's love stories made headlines. His first serious affair was with Nutan, but her family sent her abroad. He also loved Madhubala, but she preferred Dilip Kumar. Fate led him to marry Geeta Bali—until her illness and untimely death ended their bond. Later, he had a relationship with Mumtaz before she married. Other affairs—like with Bina Ramani and Neela Devi—were brief or unfulfilled. How do we sum up his legacy now?
Shammi Kapoor's story is a lesson in perseverance: 19 flops nearly broke him, then a single film made him immortal. His unique energy and style defined an era; his comeback created one of the greatest Bollywood icons. Even after tragedy, he reinvented himself on screen and lived on through the love of millions.
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News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Javed Akhtar says he wanted to assist legendary Guru Dutt and become a director
Mumbai, Aug 6 (PTI) Veteran poet-lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar has revealed the late actor-filmmaker Guru Dutt had a profound influence on him so much so that he harboured a dream of becoming a director and even assisting him. At a special session organised to pay tribute to the Hindi cinema legend as part of his centenary celebrations in Mumbai on Wednesday night, Akhtar (80) shared that his dream to work with Dutt remained unfulfilled. 'After my graduation I'll go to the film industry and join Mr Guru Dutt for a couple of years and then I'll become a director. When you're 18-year-old things are simpler and easier, so that is what I had decided. It is so unfortunate that I came to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1964, on October 4 and he passed away on October 10, so I could never ever see him," Akhtar said. 'I had really thought that I when I go (to Mumbai) somehow I'll manage (to work with Guru Dutt) because (poet-lyricist) Sahir (Ludhianvi) sahab was a good friend of Guru Dutt and he had written songs for 'Pyaasa', I thought this connection will work. I had thought I'll assist him for a while but it didn't work," he stated. Akhtar, known for penning iconic films like 'Sholay", 'Deewar", 'Zanjeer", and 'Don" alongwith Salim Khan, said he was impressed at how Dutt would communicate complex narratives through visuals. 'I was highly impressed by Guru Dutt in my college days, that when I was 17 or 18-year-old I used to refused to see films of certain superstars because I believed they're bad actors, it means I had some choice. Guru Dutt had a deep impression on me as a teenager. 'We had great directors like Mehboob (Khan), Bimal Roy, but Guru Dutt was the first person who spoke through visuals. There were other directors who could give good performances, shoot at right locations, create right ambience in the film, and well-written films but talking through visuals is something that was taught to us by Guru Dutt," Akhtar noted. The session was attended by filmmakers like Sudhir Mishra, Hansal Mehta, and R Balki, and film critic-author Bhawanaa Sommaya, each echoing Akhtar's sentiments of reverence for Dutt. The event concluded with a special screening of 'Pyaasa", which was attended by Dutt's family including, his granddaughters Gouri and Karuna Dutt, late actor Johnny Walker's son Nasir, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, actor Akshay Oberoi, and others. Mishra reminisced about watching Dutt's film, 'Saheb Bibi Aur Ghulam" at least six times as a teenager, with his grandmother. 'Guru Dutt is an experience, he could see him again and again, at the age of 22 he would mean something else, and today he would mean something else. I keep revisiting him. There's nothing in my life that I've done that is not influenced by him, and I haven't measured upto to him, but I'm trying to. 'Every film that I've done, every shot that I've taken, every scene I've written, and song that I've tried to picturise, I can't imagine it without Guru Dutt. He has taught us how to make films, how to see a scene, how to take a blueprint, which is a script, and he rewrite it in a film," the filmmaker said. Mehta revealed that during his FTII days in Pune in the early 1990s, he created a music video that he referred to as a 'plagiarised" song sequence from Dutt's iconic film, 'Kaagaz Ke Phool." He candidly described his work as a 'vulgar replication", and added that he hopes to pay tribute to the late filmmaker someday by making a movie that talks about 'heartbreak and love". 'I grew up knowing about him through my closest friend, who was his nephew. I used to hear stories about his uncle. I discovered his (Dutt) films much later, 'Pyaasa' is the first film I saw and it left a lasting impression on me. More than the number of films I've made, I've had more heartbreaks, and love. 'Guru Dutt has taught me that pitying oneself can be beautiful, I began to think of self-sympathy as a virtue and that I should celebrate it, and that heartbreak is cinematic. I wish I can make a film that talks about heartbreak and love to pay tribute to the person who influenced me," Mehta noted. Balki said Dutt was the reference point for his 2022 movie, 'Chup: Revenge of the Artist", which depicted the pain of an artist who suffers from 'wrong criticism". 'We live in an era where resilience is celebrated more than sensitivity, and sensitivity with a little bit of luck can become luck and if not supported by luck, goes down. As the most sensitive artist, we love to celebrate a person who has fallen and come up. Guru Dutt to me is an epitome of sensitivity. 'He inspires me to remember sensitivity, it is important to feel vulnerable and not be understood by many people, you just go on. Today, the pressure is more on artists. The more I watch his films, I look at the vulnerability of the filmmaker, I never look at the craft," Balki stated. As part of the centenary celebrations of Dutt, some of his most iconic films such as 'Pyaasa" (1957), 'Aar Paar" (1954), 'Chaudhvin Ka Chand" (1960), 'Mr & Mrs 55", (1955), 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam" (1962) and 'Baaz" (1953) will be screened across India from August 8 to 14 as part of the retrospective. The restoration of these titles has been undertaken by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), along with Ultra Media and Entertainment Group, who holds the rights to these movies. PTI KKP RSY (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 07, 2025, 00:15 IST News agency-feeds Javed Akhtar says he wanted to assist legendary Guru Dutt and become a director Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
a day ago
- India.com
This actor with brown eyes was ready to quit films after 19 flops, until a rejected role turned him into a superstar, his name is...
While the nation cheered Nargis in Mother India, Guru Dutt in Pyaasa, and Dilip Kumar in Naya Daur, Shammi Kapoor was drowning in a series of 19 flops. Backed by the Kapoor name yet overshadowed by his father, Prithviraj and brothers Raj and Shashi, his career seemed doomed. Was he ready to quit it all? Yes. After four disappointing years in films, Shammi was growing fed up. Feeling stuck in the family shadow, even his marriage to Geeta Bali in 1955 didn't help — critics called him 'just Geeta Bali's husband.' He was so disenchanted he considered walking away—possibly to start anew as a tea-plantation manager in Assam. So how did he get the break that changed everything? Here came the twist: filmmaker Nasir Hussain initially approached Dev Anand for a lead in Tumsa Nahin Dekha. When that couldn't happen, he offered the role to Sunil Dutt, who was unavailable. Someone suggested resisting fate: take Shammi Kapoor. Nasir hesitated—but trusted the advice of producer Shashadhar Mukherjee (Kajol's grandfather). Shammi got his shot and turned it into gold. What made Tumsa Nahin Dekha work? On screen, everything clicked: Shammi's electric style, rhythmic dance, quirky dialogue delivery, and charismatic screen presence. Suddenly, the man once pegged as a flop became an overnight star. His look, his swagger, his energy—nothing like it existed before. No one could copy him; he became the trend. Did he continue his reign? Absolutely. The next hit, Dil Deke Dekho, confirmed the trend. Then came Junglee (1961), a blockbuster also directed by Nasir. Over the next decade, Shammi delivered one hit after another: Professor, Bluff Master, Kashmir Ki Kali, Rajkumar, Janwar, Tisri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Brahmachari, Prince, Tumse Accha Kaun Hai, Andaaz. From 1961 to 1971, he was Bollywood's go-to romantic hero. Did things stay smooth forever? No. In 1969, during the filming of Rajkumar, he was performing a stunt tied with ropes and an elephant. A fall shattered his knee—ending his dancing days. Weight gain and reduced mobility led to fewer hero roles. By the mid‑1970s, he shifted to character parts, starting with B.R. Chopra's Jameer (1975). He even clashed with Chopra over Gumrah, refusing to play a stereotypical husband giving way to an affair, saying 'if I'm the husband, how can he cheat?' The clash damaged that offer. What was his private life like? Shammi's love stories made headlines. His first serious affair was with Nutan, but her family sent her abroad. He also loved Madhubala, but she preferred Dilip Kumar. Fate led him to marry Geeta Bali—until her illness and untimely death ended their bond. Later, he had a relationship with Mumtaz before she married. Other affairs—like with Bina Ramani and Neela Devi—were brief or unfulfilled. How do we sum up his legacy now? Shammi Kapoor's story is a lesson in perseverance: 19 flops nearly broke him, then a single film made him immortal. His unique energy and style defined an era; his comeback created one of the greatest Bollywood icons. Even after tragedy, he reinvented himself on screen and lived on through the love of millions.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
On his 100th, Guru Dutt's classics return in 4K to theatres for new gen
This August, a filmmaker long gone returns to the big screen, sharper and clearer than ever. For the first time, a new generation will watch Guru Dutt 's haunting silences, aching glances, and songs that still break hearts, where they belong: in theatres. Old fans may get misty-eyed; new ones will understand why he remains the tragic poet of Indian cinema . And yes, the lush, romantic Chaudhvin Ka Chand, comparing a beloved's face to the full moon, will still shimmer with the same charm. Only now, in 4K. As part of Dutt's centenary celebrations, a nationwide theatrical release of his 4K-restored classics will run from August 8 to 10 across 250 cinemas in India. For the first time, films like Pyaasa, Aar Paar, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Mr & Mrs 55, and Baaz — released originally between 1953 and 1960 — will play in their digitally remastered glory. Put together by NFDC-NFAI in association with Ultra media group, this retrospective offers a rewind into Dutt's moody and musical world, which defined both his storytelling and his on-screen presence. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai "Guru Dutt's films are timeless masterpieces that have influenced generations of filmmakers and audiences alike. This initiative is not just a tribute to Dutt's legacy, but also a significant cultural movement to bridge generations through cinema," says Sushilkumar Agrawal, MD & CEO of Ultra, which owns the rights to these films. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Swelling and internal bleeding in the brain, help this baby Donate For Health Donate Now Undo by Taboola by Taboola At the heart of the line-up is Pyaasa (1957), a haunting portrait of an idealistic poet adrift in a world that doesn't value poetry. Aar Paar is vintage noir-meets-Bombay jazz, while Chaudhvin Ka Chand remains one of Indian cinema's most enduring tales of friendship and love, set against the backdrop of Lucknow's Nawabi culture and beautifully captured in Technicolor. Mr & Mrs 55 is Dutt's rare rom-com, a witty take on post-Independence gender roles, and Baaz, his swashbuckling directorial debut. Born Vasant Kumar Shivashankar Padukone in Bengaluru and raised in Kolkata before he made Mumbai his canvas, Dutt was a filmmaker who turned heartache into high cinematic art. His moody, slow-burning frames and monologues redefined the language of Indian cinema. A pioneer of artful anguish, he made melancholy a separate genre sculpted in shadow and song with films like Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool. Off-screen too, the line between the artist and his art often blurred. His life, famously, mirrored the aching heart in his films. Critics and fans alike continue to draw parallels between his reel and real selves, often quoting "Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye toh kya hai" not just for his characters but for the man himself. Dutt died in 1964, at just 39, under circumstances still described as a possible suicide. The centenary screenings will also spotlight his family still tied to cinema. For Dutt's younger brother Devi Dutt, now 87, who produced films like Masoom and worked on Gandhi, it's a full-circle moment. "It's a dream come true to see his masterpieces restored to their former glory," he said. He sees the re-release as a bridge across generations. "Guru Dutt's films are a window into the soul of Indian cinema, with poetry, music, and storytelling." Would Guru Dutt have approved this restored visual retelling? "Given his passion for storytelling, I'm very sure he'd have been happy to see his work re-released in theatres all over India." On whether today's audiences will connect with these stories, he's optimistic. "His themes of love, loss, and the human condition are timeless. And visually, his use of lighting and cinematography might impress even those used to modern techniques." For young viewers, Devi says, it's also a glimpse into a different India. "There's nostalgia, but also history. That mix might just make them see his work in a whole new light." Dutt's legacy continues through his granddaughters, Karuna and Gouri Dutt, both assistant directors who've worked with filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap, Neeraj Ghaywan, and Sudhir Mishra. The big-screen revival, they say, is a chance for viewers to see not just the visuals but his vision, which they describe as "sharp, poetic, and still ahead of its time." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
