Mumbai, Dec 5: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan recollected memories of veteran actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor, who died aged 79 following prolonged illness.
Bachchan wrote on his blog: “Shashi Kapoor, son of Prithviraj Kapoor, younger brother to Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, making a debut in a forthcoming film, is what the caption read … And I said to myself, as very uncertain thoughts raced through my mind of wanting to become a film actor, that, with men like him around, I stood no chance at all”, news agency IANS quoted.
Big B said that it was in 1969, when he was getting acquainted with the Indian film industry, that he met Shashi Kapoor at a social gathering.
“‘Shashi Kapoor!’ was what one heard as he extended a warm soft hand out to you in introduction; that devastating smile complimenting the twinkle in his eyes. He needn’t have done so. Every one knew him. But this was his infectious humble self.
“When he spoke, there was a mischievous, gentle, almost inaudible, delicate, yodel, in his voice,” Big B wrote.
The 75-year old further added: “What followed is a documentation of very intimate association, personal exigencies, collective professional camaraderie…ending in family bindings.”
“Somewhere he had let himself go after the passing away of his dear wife Jennifer. I had visited him on occasion in hospital during some of the times he had been hospitalised earlier,” he wrote.
Amitabh mentioned that he never went to meet him again after that.
“But I never went to see him again. I would never have. I never ever wanted to see this beautiful friend and ‘samdhi’ in the state I saw him in hospital. and I did not today, when they informed me that he had gone,” he wrote.
Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor worked together in famous films like “Suhaag”, “Deewar”, “Roti Kapada Aur Makaan”, “Silsila”, “Namak Haraam”, “Kabhi Kabhie” and “Shaan”.
Amitabh said that Shashi Kapoor fondly called him as “babbua”.
“And with him have gone many incredible unread chapters of his and my life,” he wrote.
Wefornews Bureau