#GoldenFrames: Shashi Kapoor - Bollywood charmer’s life in pictures

Shashi Kapoor, whose real name was Balbir Raj Kapoor, was born on March 18, 1938, to Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Mehra in Kolkata (then Calcutta). He was the youngest brother of Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor.

Pic Courtesy : BCCL

Kapoor did his schooling at Don Bosco High School in Mumbai. He worked as a child artist under the name of Shashiraj from 1948 to 1954. He was known for his roles as a child actor in 'Aag' (1948) and 'Awaara' (1951), 'Sangram' (1950) and 'Dana Paani' (1953). At the age of six, Kapoor was certain that he wanted to be in show business.

(Photo: National Film Archive of India)

He made his first 16 mm movie ‘Phaansi’ when he was only twelve. Kapoor used to shoot at RK Studios in Bombay during school holidays—Thursdays and Sundays. He never enjoyed being a student. Shashi Kapoor joined theatre instead of wasting his four years in college, to which his father Prithviraj Kapoor willingly agreed. The actor never felt that his father pressured him to join his theatre business. Unlike his other two elder brothers, Shashi Kapoor was content with theatre.

(Photo: Still from movie 'Awaara')

Before venturing into movies as a lead actor, Kapoor used to do plays with his father under the Prithvi Theatres, a travelling theatre company. He has performed several plays on the stage of the prestigious Royal Opera House in Mumbai. ‘Shakuntala’ (1944) was Kapoor's first play.

(Photo: Still from the play 'Shakuntala')

In 1956, Shashi Kapoor saw Jennifer Kendal for the first time in Empire Theatre, Calcutta. He worked as the assistant stage manager at Prithvi Theatres. Jennifer Kendal was the daughter of Geoffrey Kendal. Geoffrey made his living as an actor-manager leading the repertory theatre company 'Shakespeareana' on tour throughout India with his wife, Laura Liddell.