Shammi Kapoor was scarcely the material Bollywood referred to as its leading man in the 1960s, whether it was because of his raw appeal or animal magnetism. On the occasion of Shammi Kapoor’s birthday, we take a look back at the ‘Rebel Star’ who forever transformed the face of Bollywood’s leading males.
When you hear Shammi Kapoor’s name, your mind automatically goes to “Yahoooo” or “Oh Haseena Zulfon Wali.” With his electric energy, colourful attitude, and songs imbued with ‘Shammi magic,’ the actor, who would have been 90 today if he were still alive, gained a tremendous fan base over his career. In the 1960s, when the three of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor ruled the roost, the actor was definitely a gamechanger in Bollywood, as he altered the traditional ‘hero.’
Shammi Kapoor didn’t give up despite being written off at the start of his career (he had 18 flops under his belt until Tumsa Nahin Dekha transformed his life). With the aid of his wife, famous actor Geeta Bali, he “felt the need to transform.” “I shaved my beard and made a new outfit for myself, and I wore my own clothing in my movies.” I piled into a vehicle with stylish shirts, tees, trousers, coats, and scarves – some of which I had brought back from overseas – and intensified my hunt for a new identity. “Geeta (my wife) assisted me in my transformation,” the actress told author Rauf Ahmed.
Tumsa Nahi Dekha, directed by Nasir Hussain in 1957, not only established Shammi, but it also revolutionised the way a Hindi cinema hero looked, acted, and, most significantly, danced. Shammi drank Elvis Presley’s raw motions as a usual lead was joyful swinging over the woods.
Every portion of his body swung when he stood on the floor to film “Yoon Toh Humne Lakh Haseen Dekhe Hain, Tumsa Nahin Dekha…” His performance was intensely muscular. Nasir Husain had the confidence to leave the filming of the other songs to Kapoor since he had an unmatched rhythm in his body. Shammi Kapoor forged his own path in the profession from there.
