RIP Shashi Kapoor: 7 lesser known facts about the late legend

The unfortunate demise of the legendary Shashi Kapoor truly led to the end of an era with his last breath last evening. As our way of paying tribute to the heaven-departed legend, here are some facts that only die-hard fans of the actor will know.

• A family man

Kapoor has been a man who has always kept his family as his main priority, and thus he never took his work home. He in fact also planned his outdoor shoots in such a way that he could spend the maximum time possible with his family.

• Genesis

Before the man went on to become the legendary icon that he will be remembered as today, he had spent years acting in plays directed by his father, Prithviraj Kapoor, and also made a splash as a child artist in Bollywood during the years 1948 and 1951

• The man who directed Big B!

Another relatively unknown feather in the legend’s cap has come from the fact that he had even tried his hands as a director and the first man that he directed was none other than his Babbua, Amitabh Bachchan!

• The man to whom Hollywood bowed down to!

Before going to Hollywood became cool in the recent times, our very own Shashi Ji (silently) went on to make a name for himself in the west as an actor who worked in films like The Householder and Shakespeare-Wallah

• The dreamy AD

Right before his directorial stint and the 116 movies that he went on to do as an adult actor, he served his time as an assistant director in multiple movies, which also includes the ones that were produced by his brother, Raj Kapoor.

• The first one to bet on parallel cinema!

Before the term “content-driven cinema” became popular, there was always Shashi Kapoor who rooted for it throughout his illustrious career. As is the case with any Kapoor out there, he was as big a name in the Indie film industry as he was in the mainstream cinema.

• A lifetime achiever!

His work continued to inspire many people in the entertainment industry even in the 21^st century, and to acknowledge the mark that he has left on global cinema at large, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010, post which he bagged the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015. He is also a holder of three National Awards for his work in the 80’s and the 90’s.

Bollywood will truly mourn the loss of this distinguished personality for generations to come and many Gen-Y artists will clearly regret having never met him.

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