
Late actor Shashi Kapoor, who made his debut as an actor in Yash Chopra’s Dharmputra (1961), starred in several hits – including Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Prem Kahani, Deewaar and more. Despite an applause-worthy filmography, the actor did not have any work or money in the late ’60s. In fact, as per his son, Shashi resorted to selling things during this period.
In a past conversation, Shashi and Jennifer Kendal’s son Kunal Kapoor opened up about how his father sold his sports car and his mother sold other things because of their financial crisis. Read on to know all Kunal had to say.
In a 2017 interview with Rediff.com, Kunal Kapoor opened up about the financial crisis Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal faced. He said, “When my father was launched as a lead actor in Dharamputra, none of the actresses wanted to work with a newcomer. Nanda was the only actress who agreed to work with him even though she was a star at that time.”
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Shashi Kapoor’s son added, “My father directed only one film, Ajooba. The film was a big party on the sets. Everybody had a blast. I don’t think he was interested in direction. He is an actor. Likewise, he is not a businessman to produce a film. He made great films because he gave his cast and crew whatever they wanted.”
Talking about the financial crisis Shashi and Jennifer Kendal faced, Kunal Kapoor said, “In the late ’60s, he did not have any work. We saw a lot of him then. That was also the time we discovered Goa. He sold his sports car. Mum also started selling things because we didn’t have money. After Sharmeelee (1971), things changed again. There have been many ups and downs, but it never bothered us.”
Sharmeelee starred Shashi Kapoor along with Raakhee, Narendra Nath, Nazir Hussain, Iftekhar, S N Banerjee, Anita Guha, Asit Sen. The film was directed by Samir Ganguly and produced by Subodh Mukherjee.
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more such throwback stories of your favourite stars.