More than just a name, Shashi Kapoor represented charm; he was a great actor capable of lighting up screens and hearts. He was known for his handsome looks and smooth style and was one of the most loved movie stars in the 1970s and 1980s. But even in the high status of being a ‘superstar,’ Kapoor rejected the high-profile opportunity of a National Award, saying he didn’t deserve it.
Shashi Kapoor- a gentle soul
While coming from the legendary Kapoor family and making his own way in films, Kapoor was a wonderful and talented performer who, with his immense fame, remained humble and simple. His downgrading a National Award while on a great career high demonstrated his respect for acting and simply acting.
When Shashi Kapoor refused the National Award
As reported by Network 18, Shashi Kapoor was nominated for the National Award for Best Performance for his debut in Yash Chopra’s film ‘Dharmputra’ in 1962, but he graciously declined the award and noted that winning one was not something he felt he earned in that moment. He said candidly to a reporter, “I was nominated for the National Award, but I didn’t feel I had earned it at that time.”
Admired by leading ladies
Shashi Kapoor’s appeal and charm made him the quintessential man of his era. Actress Aruna Irani eventually admitted on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show‘ that she was so excited to be working with him that she asked for retakes just to fall on him in some scenes and then revealed she was flirting with him between takes on set. Moushumi Chatterji, who was one of the biggest stars of the 1970s, also admitted she was fond of him. On the same episode, she also recalled that there was no one more handsome than Shashi Kapoor at the time and that she too was in love with him.
Iconic roles and memorable films
Throughout his career, Shashi Kapoor took on a great variety of roles, managing to occupy the space between commercialism for the box office and artistic films. Besides others, one of his most discussed performances was in Raj Kapoor’s ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram,’ which was known for its frank chemistry with actress Zeenat Aman; the whole film was commercially successful and today is considered one of the important films in his career.
