The End of an Era

While thinking about the last subject for my story for this issue, I specifically chose Shashi Kapoor as the news of his death gives me a deep sense of loss which made me write something on this trailblazer yet a modest being. While scrolling through my timeline on 5th December, I saw various posts about Shashi Kapoor as a real gentleman both off and on screen. But Shashi ji always reminded me of the era of ‘Angry Young Man’ of the 70s and 80s of Indian Cinema. Although he was quite passionate about theatre than films, his contribution to both Indian Cinema and Indian Theatre is impeccable.

It is actually arduous to just talk about one or two movies because all his characters and movies are a masterpiece. Tracing from his inception as a child actor in Aag, Sangram and Awara to plethora of another remarkable movies such as Junoon, Shakespeare Wallah, Jinnah, In Custody, Namak Halal, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Deewar, Suhana Safar, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Kabhi Kabhi, Trishul, Janwar Aur Insaan, Anari, Kaala Patthar, Do Aur Do Paanch, Shaan and many more sensations. Shashi Kapoor always kept himself aloof from the Kapoor stardom and chose theatre over films as his professional identity.

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While listening to one of his interviews, he humbly talks about one of his anecdotes where his little daughter Sanjana Kapoor innocently asked him that how does everyone know his name. So his wife Jennifer Kendal answered her saying that he works in a profession where people tend to know his name. Such was his stardom, indeed! His art movies and acting have a notable name in the history of Indian Cinema. Reconciling watching one of his movies back in childhood, the epic cult Kabhi Kabhi of Yash Chopra, actually amazed me because as a child these movies were a piece of extravaganza for us. I repent of not being in that era as the classics that we follow today were born in that era and Shashi Kapoor was indeed an era in himself.