Shammi Kapoor's birth anniversary: 15 interesting facts about the 'Elvis Presley of India'

Fans have taken over social media today to celebrate legendary actor Shammi Kapoor's birth anniversary. Shammi Kapoor was one of the most entertaining actors of his generation. He made his debut with the film Jeewan Jyoti in 1959 and then went on to do many other super hit movies. Some of his most memorable movies are Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee and Dil Tera Deewana. On the occasion of his birth anniversary, take a look at interesting Shammi Kapoor's trivia: 

Shammi Kapoor's facts

Real name

Shammi Kapoor was born on 21 October 1931 and was named Shamsher Raj Kapoor. He was born in Mumbai.  His father, Prithviraj Kapoor was a popular actor. 

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Family 

Shammi Kapoor's brothers were Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor. Both his siblings were also famous actors who managed to charm the audiences with their roles and charisma.

Shammi's Kolkata connection

Even though the actor was born in Mumbai, he spent most of his years in Kolkata. In Kolkata, he went to Montessori education and kindergarten school. This is because his father was working in a theatre in Kolkata. 

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Affair with Nadia Gamal

Around 1953, many media outlets mentioned that Shammi Kapoor had an affair with Nadia Gamal, who was an Egyptian dancer. The couple had met on a trip while in Sri Lanka. The two separated when Nadia had to go back to Egypt. 

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Entry into the film world

Shammi Kapoor first started working at the Prithvi Theatre as a junior artiste. He used to get paid Rs. 50 per month. He worked in the theatre for four years.  

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Debut film 

Shammi Kapoor made his debut in a Tamil film called Amaran. The film was very successful. He then made his debut in Hindi films with Jeewan Jyoti that came out in 1953. This film was also a super-hit. 

Shammi Kapoor had two wives 

Shammi Kapoor first got married to Geeta Bali in 1955. The two met on a shoot and fell in love. Geeta Bali died of smallpox in 1965. Then in 1969, Shammi Kapoor got married to Neila Devi. Neila Devi was the Queen of Bhavnagar. The two got married in Gujarat. 

Elvis Presley of India

Shammi Kapoor was called Elvis Presley of India due to his uncanny resemblance. He was also called Elvis Presley of Bollywood by many media outlets. 

Follower of Haidakhan Baba

Shammi Kapoor was a devout follower of Haidakhan Baba. According to Haidakhandi Universal Ashram website, Babaji "appeared in a cave, that has been holy for thousands of years, at the foot of the Kumaon Mount Kailash, across the sacred river Gautama Ganga opposite a remote village called Haidakhan."  

Shakti Samanta's films 

Shakti Kapoor acted in 6 films directed by Shakti Samanta. The films were called - Singapore, China Town, Kashmir Ki Kali, An Evening In Paris, Pagla Kahin Ka and Jaane Anjane. Apart from the last, all of them were super-hit. 

Children 

Shammi Kapoor had two children with his first wife. They had a son in 1956 and a daughter in 1961. Their son was named Aditya Raj Kapoor and daughter was named Kanchan. 

Founder of IUCI

Shammi Kapoor founded the Internet Users Community of India. Junglee mentions that he played a major role in the spread of the Internet in India. He also helped form the Ethical Hackers Association. 

Shammi Kapoor's website 

Shammi Kapoor maintained his own website in which he left information about his family line. The website is called - Junglee.com. 

Mumtaaz & Shammi Kapoor 

According to a report by Filmibeat, Mumtaaz mentioned that Shammi Kapoor wanted to get married to her. But she had politely declined as Shammi Kapoor wanted her to give up her career. This was after the death of his first wife. 

Death 

Shammi Kapoor died on 14 August 2011 at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. He had suffered from chronic kidney failure. He was 79 years old when he passed away. 

Awards

Shammi Kapoor's first award was Filmfare Best Actor Award for Brahmachari in 1968. His last ward was PIFF in 2008. He was also awarded the Rashtriya Gaurav Award. 

Promo Pic Credit: Stills from the film Janwar