"It was one of the most beautiful days."
When it comes to yesteryear Bollywood stars, Shammi Kapoor shines with an unmatched vigour.
The actor continues to be celebrated for his unique charm, onscreen flamboyance, and original charisma.
In 1955, Shammi married the iconic actress Geeta Bali. However, how did they manage to tie the knot?
Via his YouTube channel, Shammi Kapoor shared this anecdote in 2010.
He divulged: “We had a lot in common. I fell in love with her, and she fell in love with me.
“In April 1955, I proposed to her. I kept on asking her on every occasion, and she said, ‘We’ll see…’
“Eventually, there came a moment – and I don’t know how she arrived at that – when she said, ‘Yes, let’s get married!'”
Shammi Kapoor continued to state that Geeta demanded to get married then and there.
The couple visited the actor Johnny Walker, who had got married recently, and asked him how he did it.
Johnny told them: “I’m a Muslim, so I married in a mosque. Why don’t you guys go get married in a temple?”
Shammi went on: “We drove to a place called Baan Ganga. There were 92 small temples with a lake in between.
“We reached there at 10.30 pm or so. It was pouring with rain beautifully.”
Shammi revealed that he and Geeta were asked to come back at 4 am.
The Junglee star said: “When it struck 4 am, we went and the doors were open [and we got married].
“Geeta did a wonderful thing that I have never forgotten.
“She took out some lipstick from her purse and said, ‘Put this in my hairline’.
“It was a wonderful gesture, and that’s what I did. That was August 24, 1955. It was one of the most beautiful days of my life.
“She has been a wonderful person to me and gave me two wonderful children.
“Very unfortunately, she passed away in 1965. But I spent 10 beautiful years of my life with my wife, Geeta.”
Geeta Bali and Shammi had two children together – Aditya Kapoor and Kanchan Kapoor.
In 1965, Geeta died of smallpox, which was then a disease that was not easily curable.
After Geeta’s death, Shammi Kapoor had a relationship with Mumtaz, but it ended when Shammi allegedly asked Mumtaz to quit her acting career.
Following this, Shammi married Neila Devi in 1969. This marriage lasted for the rest of his life.
Shammi also admitted that during the early days of his career, he had fallen in love with the legendary star, Madhubala.
However, due to her romance with Dilip Kumar, he never could pursue a relationship with her.
At the age of 79, Shammi died of chronic kidney failure on August 14, 2011.
In his heyday, he performed in classics, including Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), and Teesri Manzil (1966).
In 1969, he won the Filmfare ‘Best Actor’ award for Brahmachari (1968).
When his days as a leading man ended, Shammi successfully switched to character roles.
Such memorable films included Zameer (1975) and Vidhaata (1982).
Shammi Kapoor made his final film appearance in Rockstar (2011), where he co-starred with his grand-nephew, Ranbir Kapoor.
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