Not really Shammi-esque (Ujala)

I guess Shammi Kapoor was just not cut out for these roles. Dark, depressing and gloomy. In Naresh Saigal's 1959 drama, Ujala, my favourite Kapoor plays a poor young man suffering from the drudgery of life, yet trying to eke out an honest living and due to some unfortunate co-incidences has his self-confidence battered and bruised. He tries to prove himself time and again, with the help of an aged reformist and his sweetheart but the road to perdition is strewn with thorns. He does redeem himself of all the aspersions cast against his character but the journey towards redemption is too tedious and full of depression. Naah! Shammi Kapoor is definitely not cut out for such a gloomy role!

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Evergreen charmer (Paying Guest)

Dev Anand was not just about romance and good looks. He was much much more. He was about freewheeling fun, about harmless naughtiness, about rollicking laughter, about teasing flirtations and about a gorgeous, gorgeous smile. Paying Guest is a film where you see all these facets of this evergreen charmer. Even though you have the lovely Nutan to feast your eyes on, it's Dev Anand who grips you with his uninhibited panache in this 1956 romance. Right from the very beginning.

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Marrying a widow (Prem Rog)

There is something that makes Raj Kapoor films immensely enjoyable. Even if you do not like some aspects of the films--say the melodrama, the OTT quotient or the excessive stretching of the plot, his films do rev up my interest in the happening. What mostly attracts me is the believable social thread that he ties his characters with. His characters are part of a community that suffers from some social malady or the other and through his story-telling method, he strives to drive home a point about this evil custom and how the protagonist struggles and succeeds to overthrow this societal sickness. This process is presented by Raj Kapoor extremely well through his films. They start off as family dramas, but in the folds of the plot, he sheds light on some social custom that needs to be demolished. His films become social commentaries without resorting to pontification. And that is the best part about the RK films. Look at Shree 420, Awara, Jagte Raho, Ram Teri Ganga Maili and the like. If you watch them carefully, you'll know what I'm hinting at.

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Till death do us part (Yeh Vaada Raha)

As a teenager, I suddenly got gripped by Danielle Steel romances. It was then that her Promise impressed me. Fate construing against two lovers, only to have the tables turned back against it by the sheer power of their love-- this theme really touched my heart. Then one day, I saw a film called Yeh Vaada Raha, Kapil Kapoor's adaptation of this romance, and I realised how perfectly the story turned out in reel life. Here the love between the young souls appears even more sweeter, the mishap is much more unfortunate than it looks in the book and the incidents that count up to the halcyon ending is so well stitched together. Yes, this 1982 romance is one film I'd recommend to any hard-core mush lover.

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A feast for the eyes (An Evening in Paris)

It's not just one evening. Shakti Samanta's superhit 1967 romance features the goodies of Paris and other exotic locales in Europe throughout the entire length of the film. Pretty women, flashy cars, stylish clothes and scenic landscape, all this more make the musical drama quite an eyeful. And then there's Sharmila Tagore, all delicate, gorgeous and sexy in her awesome attires, and the prince of entertainment, Shammi Kapoor. Wooing the lady in his inimitable style, this man knew how to win hearts. Here of course, he does it with a completely new Parisian flourish.

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If not for Shammi (Janwar)

The irrepressible Shammi Kapoor can be credited for often carrying an entire film on his lone shoulders. Signing this rebel star would mean that with his charm and antics he would see to it that a somewhat likeable film would attain sweet success. Janwar, Bhappi Soni's romance, is a film that falls into this category. If you were to ask me what this 1965 film has apart from Shammi's class histrionics, loads of fun cooked up by him, great songs picturised on the superstar and a nice romantic plot where Shammi rules the roost, I'd say hardly anything else. Even in the scenes where Prithviraj Kapoor hogs the limelight, he is praising Shammi Kapoor, who happens to be his younger son in the film!! That's the magic of our sweet prince, he just takes all the credit away with his characteristic flamboyance.

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I will always love you... RIP Shammi Kapoor

Why should we mourn the demise of Shamsher Raj Kapoor, or very lovingly our Shammi Kapoor? Is he really dead? Gone? Never to be seen, heard or felt again? Is it true that his thundering 'yahoo' will cease to reverberate? NO.

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Brains to be left behind (Half Ticket)

The moment you start reasoning with what's happening in Kalidas's braindead comedy, Half Ticket, you will miss out on the fun. I made this mistake initially. Stupefied at the incredible plot, the crazy situations and the absolutely OTT antics of Vijay, I started questioning whether I should actually sit through this 1962 film. But then when I thought to myself the stark absurdity of my wanting to question the credibility of the plot or situations, I gauged that I better turn the switch of my grey cells off and simply go with the flow of the story. Or the lack of it. Maybe that's why by the time this comic caper ended, even though the climax was severely botched up, I was actually laughing inwardly at some of the really funny bits.

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Hotch potch (Basant)

What can possibly go wrong with a romance that stars the inimitable Shammi Kapoor and the charming Nutan? I'd say, a lot of things. If you are not sure of what you want your film to be--- a fresh love triangle, a sad drama or a thriller, if you do not have any idea of how to weave different elements together, if you lack the art of copying from other films craftily and if you allocate too much screen time to side characters without exploiting Pran to the fullest. And yes, not make maximum use of the gorgeous soundtrack scored by the melody master, OP Nayyar and the beauty of Shammi and Nutan put together...

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But for Shammi and Sadhana (Budtameez)

Trust the invincible Shammi Kapoor to make even the very usual film exciting. Though the plot of Manmohan Desai's romantic comedy Budtameez has been oft-repeated, it becomes a jolly good ride for this flamboyant Kapoor's antics. And bolstered by Sadhana's natural charm, it is quite a watch. Only if Shankar Jaikishan's music had more juice and the director had obliterated the buffoon Devdas (Kamal Mehra)...

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Into the sea of love (Chori Chori)

Raj Kapoor didn't need to move an inch. His face did it all. When those intense eyes narrow themselves and his lips break into a lopsided grin to say, "Ghum ek kamzori hain, aur main apni kamzori dikhana nahin chahta," not just Nargis is delirious with joy. I too, feel blood rushing to my heart. His nonchalant charm has an alarming effect on my nerves. His casual yet smart demeanour plays hockey with my senses. I get more and more embroiled in the showman's charisma. Gulping down one tumbler of water after another, I sit up to get mesmerised once again by this dashing Kapoor as he entertains with one adventure after another in Chori Chori.

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Three in one (Pyar ka Mausam)

Club Nasir Husain's Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho and Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hain, and you get Pyar ka Mausam. But the astute Husain doesn't cheat you in any way by simply rehashing from his 1957, 1959 and 1961 hits. He throws in more drama, twists, colour and characters to make his 1969 romance thoroughly enjoyable. The segments from the earlier films are stitched so deftly that unless you watch closely, chances are you will miss them. For, the plot flows like a brook, peppered with plenty of action, romance, song and dance. With Nasir Husain at the helm, one thing is certain...thorough cinematic entertainment.

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Wildly attractive (Junglee)

If such gorgeous people inhabit the wild, I wish I lived in a wild, wild world. If their eyes are so passionate, their body language so smart and their voice so sexy, I wish God made many more of these junglees. But alas, that is not to be. For, there is just one of them, who I love to love. He is Shammi Kapoor, I say with a loud yahoo...

In his first coloured film directed by Subodh Mukherjee, Shammi Kapoor plays Chandra Shekhar, a rich man hopelessly in love with Rajkumari, the sprightly girl responsible for his transformation from a stiff and gruff man to a more understanding and compassionate person. But 1961's Junglee is famous not just for this irrepressible Kapoor. It also happens to be the debut wagon of Saira Banu, who at 17 went on to rule many hearts.

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Wish granted (Nayika Sangbad)

Before going to Mumbai, I prayed to God that I see at least one cinema star getting out of her swanky car, or walking into a posh mall, or maybe, if the sun shone really bright (with Mumbai's monsoons, that's close to impossible), Shahid Kapur taking a stroll on Bandstand (though he lives in Andheri)!! And, if Lord Almighty was indeed happy he would grant me a glimpse of Shammi Kapoor!!

News is, nothing of that sort happened. I saw no Shammi Kapoor, no SRK (though I saw his and Salman's bungalow) and no Shahid (I quite like him, you see). But, yes I witnessed Salman's guards taking his two oversized dogs for their daily walk on Bandstand! Lucky me!! If not the star himself, I was quite excited to see his canine family extensions!!

That's how I am. Imagining crazy things related to cinema. What if some day I get to meet Shammi Kapoor, or say Asha Parekh?

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Royal mess (Prince)

Disappointing would be an understatement. Actually, Lekh Tandon's Prince is plain bad. A rambling saga that dwells on a spoilt prince and his road to redemption, meanders to and fro through inane turns, delivering stupid results. While the makers gave us a rollicking Professor in 1962, seven years later they hardly could repeat the magic. At least, not for me!!!
Pardon me, but the only good things I've found in the film are Rafi's Badan pe sitaare (it's a sureshot dance number) and

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Dull dupe (Bluff Master)

1963 seemed to be a lull year for the flamboyant Shammi Kapoor. Why else would we have films like Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya, Jabse Tumhe Dekha Hain, Shahid Bhagat Singh and Bluff Master? The first three I'm yet to watch. But, if they are as entertaining as Bluff Master, I'm better off without seeing them!!!
Manmohan Desai's tale about a clever (but not hardworking enough) young man loses steam somewhere in the middle of the script. True, Shammi Kapoor looks good, has a way with words and carries a confident personality on his broad shoulders, but after some time his actions look forced and lack conviction. Just like the way his character is devoid of development in B R Panthulu's Dil Tera Diwana. This upsets me.

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The original don (China Town)

So you thought Amitabh Bachchan was the original Indian don? Rubbish. Shammi Kapoor started it all. In Shakti Samanta's gangster flick, China Town, Kapoor essayed twin roles of the stylish smuggler Mike, as well as his lookalike, the smart undercover agent, Shekhar. The difference? Unlike the later film starring Bachchan, where the two men were not related to each other, in this 1962 thriller, the two men are shown to be identical twins. A more plausible script, therefore.
Shammi Kapoor, I have always maintained, was a stylish man. His clothes, attitude, hairstyle, mannerisms, everything screamed of panache.

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Age no bar (Professor)

It's a close match. Suave and sexy Preetam is pitted against wobbly but clever Prof Khanna. The wages are high, the competition is tight...
Preetam has to quickly find a job to send his ageing mother to a sanatorium. For that, he has to hoodwink a dictatorial woman and glib his way to her house posing as an old professor. He then has to learn the ABC of Sanskrit to teach two giggly young girls and handle the tantrums of two small boys.
All this, as the old Prof Khanna! Yes, young Preetam, struggling to get a job, charades as an ageing bachelor and enters the household of the martinet Sita Verma, and in the process, sets off a series of hilarious incidents. Rankled initially by the strict regulations set by his employer, Prof Khanna unconsciously breaks all those rules and even manages to make Sita Verma fall in love with him!
So, who wins?

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Making of a superstar (Tumsa Nahin Dekha)

Shammi Kapoor and struggle. Sounds jarring, right? Not when you witness his flamboyance on screen. The way he smoothtalks his way into the heroine's heart, grooves with attitude and beats the villain into a pulp. And, uses his elastic face and impeccable comic timing to ensure the splits. Shammi Kapoor, it seems to me, had always been a winner.

But, I stood corrected six years ago when my father told me about Nasir Husain's Tumsa Nahin Dekha. Struggling to get a toehold in the film industry (he had to his credit some lacklustre films such as Mirza Sahiba, Ujaala and so on), Kapoor tasted sweet success with this 1957 frothy musical. Husain's directorial debut catapulted him into instant stardom and established as an actor who could carry off those youthfully romantic personas with elan. The film gave him a fresh image--entertaining, charming and spontaneous. His carefree personality as Shankar floored the audience and his quick one-liners drew plenty of wolf whistles. Girls went bonkers over his attractive face, his wavy hair, his stylish swagger and his athletic frame. They started weaving mushy dreams surrounding this flamboyant Kapoor. And, after watching the film I gauged why...
Kapoor in Tumsa Nahin Dekha is drop-dead gorgeous.

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Moving on (Ijaazat)

My friend is going through a difficult phase in her five-year relationship. The lady and her lover have decided to call it quits. Thanks to her egotistic father, and of course the man, who couldn't muster up enough courage to walk away with his sweetheart, my dear friend is in the doldrums. We've been counselling her to move on, simply because she deserves a lot better. But, moving on, she says, is easier said than done...
Mahendra in Gulzar's Ijaazat is tormented by a similar predicament. Straddling between his past love and his current responsibility, Mahendra is torn between right and wrong, and is a bit selfish sometimes. In the process, he is neither just to Sudha, his wife, nor is he able to shun his marriage and return to Maya, his sweetheart. On the face, this triangle seem very concrete, but the edges are deceivingly blurred. Such is the complexity of this 1987 drama. Based on Subodh Ghosh's Jotugriha, this is a contorted take on human relationships that Gulzar presents with a poetic flair...

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