Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor passes away in Mumbai at the age of 79

Veteran actor-producer Shashi Kapoor passed away on 4 December at the age of 79. [caption id=“attachment_4241775” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Shashi Kapoor. Images from Twitter.[/caption] The romantic screen icon of the 70s and early 80s — Shashi breathed his last in Mumbai after battling a prolonged illness, states an India Today TV report. Shashi was hospitalised and admitted to Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. “Shashi Kapoor expired at 5:20 pm on 4 December at Kokilaben Hospital, here (Mumbai),” Dr Ram Narain, Executive Director of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, told IANS in a message. Shashi Kapoor’s nephew and actor Randhir Kapoor confirmed the news as well. “He has passed away,” Randhir told IANS. Shashi Kapoor was a member of the famous Kapoor family. Born in Kolkata, Shashi was the third and the youngest son of late Prithviraj Kapoor and brother of late Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor. Shashi, his father and his brothers were all equally celebrated in the world of Hindi cinema. Married to Anglo-Indian theatre actress Jennifer Kendal, Shashi had three children — Kunal, Karan and Sanjana Kapoor. Shashi underwent a cataract surgery in 2012. His acting career began in the 1940s where he first appeared on screen as a child actor. Shashi was the recipient of 3 National Film awards and was honoured with the Padma Bhusan in 2011 by the Government of India. He also received the Dadasaheb Phalke award, making him the third member of the Kapoor family to have received the award after his father (Prithviraj Kapoor) and his older brother (Raj Kapoor). Shashi appeared in a total of 116 films out of which he played the protagonist in 61 of the movies. Shashi was equally adept at doing commercial and artistic roles. He started acting in plays written and directed by his father, Prithviraj Kapoor. Shashi appeared as a child actor in films such as Aag (1948), Sangram (1950), Awaara (1951) and Dana Paani (1953). Shashi worked as an assistant director in some films as well. The first film in which he played the lead role was the Yash Chopra-directorial Dharmputra where he essayed the role of a Hindu fundamentalist. He has also acted in several English films in his career like The Householder and Shakespeare Wallah. Shashi was one of the first Bollywood actors to venture into foreign films. In Hindi cinema, Shashi Kapoor acted alongside many noted heroines such as Nanda. Their films included Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain (1965), Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare (1966), and Rootha Na Karo (1970). He was also seen opposite Raakhee in films such as Kabhi Kabhie, Pighalta Aasman and Trishna. Sharmila Tagore was also one of Shashi’s heroines and they acted together in films such as Aamne Samne, Aa Gale Lag Jaa and New Delhi Times. His famous pairing opposite Zeenat Aman was seen in movies like Deewaangee, Roti Kapda Aur Makan and Satyam Shivam Sundaram. One of Shashi Kapoor’s most iconic roles was in the 1975 blockbuster Deewar which was directed by Yash Chopra. Shashi played the role of a committed cop pitted against his brother (essayed by Amitabh Bachchan) who is a part of the underworld. (With inputs from IANS)