His films show his fine cinematic sensibility: Sharmila Tagore

Shashi’s greatest traits are that he thinks about everyone and cares about the small things, says, Sharmila Tagore.

It was a long day of shooting for Aamne Saamne (1967). Once the shift was over, I insisted that I leave for the day although much of the shoot was still left. Shashi Kapoor, my co-star in the film, took me aside and asked if I had a problem with the others getting paid for overtime. It hadn’t occurred to me that if I had left early, the crew, who worked on daily wages, would be affected.

One of Shashi’s greatest traits was that he thought of everyone, and cared about the small things. This also made him very popular with people in the film industry. He would greet everyone on the sets with a namaskar and drink tea with the electricians and the make-up team, asking after them. Today, I am sure that everyone, whose life he has ever touched, will be happy that he has been awarded the greatest honour in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Shashi was among my favourite co-stars and also a very handsome man. I have worked in 11 films with him, including New Delhi Times (1986), Anari (1975), Paap Aur Punya (1974) and Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973). We have not only been colleagues but also close friends. I stayed on Carmichael Road and he, at Napean Sea Road, not too far away. We would often travel for work to Film City together and would also meet socially — he and his wife Jennifer, and Tiger (Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi) and I would often spend evenings together.

He was a dedicated family man. While he was sincere on the sets, Sundays were sacrosanct for time with his family. He would always be on time, and was the only actor who was punctual, until Amitabh Bachchan arrived on the scene.

One of his greatest achievements as a member of the film fraternity that people rarely talk about is his role as a producer. He produced fine films such as 36 Chowringhee Lane, Junoon and Utsav — the last one nearly led him to bankruptcy. But the films he chose to back and his work with Merchant Ivory Films show his fine cinematic sensibilities.

The Householder (1963)
Apart from being a fine film, I will mention The Householder among my Top Five because this Merchant Ivory production set an example for the entire industry. As its leading man opposite Leela Naidu, Shashi inspired Indian artistes to nurture the dream of a career in international cinema.

Waqt (1965)
It is one of my favourite films with him. The film is memorable for so many reasons — I had the opportunity to work with several actors and it got me acclaim for my acting. The song, Din hai bahar ke, with Shashi and me, caught people’s imagination and is still popular.

Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965)
I didn’t act with Shashi in this, but Jab Jab Phool Khile is one of his finest works. His role as Raja, a simple houseboat owner in Kashmir, is very endearing. The film was also among his biggest hits as a solo hero.

Aamne Samne (1967)
It’s a film that nurtured our friendship. It was also the time when Tiger was courting me. Shashi, he and I spent a lot of time together during its making; I cherish those memories.

Deewar (1975)
In the second phase of his career, Deewar stands out. While Amitabh Bachchan’s character as the anti-hero (Vijay) was central to the film, Shashi’s outstanding performance as his conscientious brother (Ravi) was a good match.

Source:: Indian Express