Shashi Kapoor – “Likhe jo khat tujhe, wo teri yaad men Hajaaro rng ke najaare ban gaye Sawera jab hua, to ful ban gaye Jo raat ai to sitaaren ban gaye ”

These lyrics and the actor who comes to mind with the meaningful charming tunes, is no more and we shall celebrate his legacy.

Urbane charm, heartthrob of vintage Bollywood and undying spirit for theater is how one is going to remember Shashi Kapoor, who died on December 4th, spiriting away in immorality with the nation mourning the Adonis of Hindi cinema.

With 116 flicks under his belt and two national awards later, Shashi Kapoor left behind his self funded legacy: Prithvi theater.

Shashi used to play the Piano and belonging to the Bollywood’s reigning family, the Kapoors, it would have been rather a shocker if Shashi hadn’t joined the bandwagon to become a movie star. He was an assistant director for 3 years and then gave his directorial debut in Manoranjan, Where the lead played the role of an unemployed Ratan who decides to disguises himself as a Nawab to spend time with his love interest. The movie was rubbed off as immoral and created an uproar because it became the only movie where prostitution was showcased as fine. Shashi’s entry was indeed shawshanked. He made his acting debut as a child actor in Aag, 1948.

His effluent upbringing and mastered theatricals gave him an upper hand but after a series of let downs in the late 60’s, Shashi Kapoor became popular in the 80’s and even though he wasn’t the most bankable actor, he was a resourceful actor. He was an artist. He didn’t just want to act. He gave Indian cinema some work extraordinare, Junoon, based on Ruskin Bond’s short story, Vijeta, the life of a pilot and Kalyug, a modern take on Mahabharta.

He was married to Jennifer Kendal, who was the apple of his eyes and after her death, he was a lost man. Reclusive to socialise much. He last acted in Ajooba, 1991, which was a failure. He retired from the big screen but never from our hearts. Amitabh Bachchan, his costar of all times wrote, “He had been ailing .. somewhere he had let himself go after the passing away of his dear wife Jennifer .. I had visited him on occasion in Hospital during some of the times he had been hospitalised earlier .. but I never went to see him again .. I would never have .. I never ever wanted to see this beautiful friend and ‘samdhi’ in the state I saw him in hospital….…. and I did not today, when they informed me that he had gone.” Bollywood has been in a state of rememberance and prayers for this distinguished actor who gave even Bacchan a run because everyone envied at how good looking and sauve Shashi Kapoor was.

While Raj Kapoor was known as an actor-fimmaker and Shammi, a maverick, people distinguish Shashi as the most good looking and intense of the lot.

Some of his most famous dialogues which are etched in our memories are:

AND OF COURSE,

” Mere paas maa hai “, Deewar

The post Shawshank Shashi : Remembering The Youngest Kapoor appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

There is a lot of mention of Lord Rama and his extraordinary feats which are fantastically fantasies but does that mean even he didn’t exist? A person or a group of people can have faith and faith shouldn’t be questioned. This is another school of thought.

Rani Padmavati – Padmini was penned down by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540 CE as a way to entertain readers of the upcoming historical fantasy genre. It’s no irony that in 2017, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is doing the same act by making ‘Padmavati’ – to entertain audiences worldwide. His point being that those who don’t want to grace theatre or don’t want to watch his work shouldn’t comment on whether he is commiting a heinous crime or defaming the celebrated Rajput clans and maligning history and sentiments.

I am a Rajput myself and barring my perspective here is somehow important.

Not all Rajputs feel the way the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a Rajput caste organisation feels. They should know that their outrage is actually giving the movie an unconditional leverage because of the unconditional promotion it has got. People who weren’t aware of who is Rani Padmavati are now excited to watch the flick. Youngsters are now aware of the Indian Rajput history . Suddenly it has been established that movies impart social conciousness. Movies as an electronic medium is a source of knowledge and so more important that it can cause an uproar in lives of so many people who have nothing better to do than protest and make obnoxious threats.Orthodoxy ultimately means not thinking-not needing to think.

The legal question which arises is whether the liberty taken by Bhansali is purely creative or unjustifiably insane?

It is totally inexcusable on the part of the director to not take permission from the Royal family of chittorgarh and not predicting this fall out. It is not the first time that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has gotten into a controversial glare revolving around his taste of story telling. He should have been more aware of the rapture.

While the movie Padmavati, which was supposed to be released on Dec 1 has been indefinitely postponed, the media is having a field day with the controversy, with debates between sides who are not ready to listen to logic or law and order to making wartales on two wronged sides, each feeling more helpless than the other. Who is right is the right question here and not who wins?

Life is not fair and never fairer in war of ideologies.

Ideally speaking, only the ones fighting the war know how much maybe it means to them. The Rajputs have contended that politically and figuratively, they have been hurt by utter disregard to Rani Padmavati honour by potraying her in belittling light by making the queen of sacrifice dance and make merry in front of the public on screen. For a Queen, honour is validation and shame, a way of life. Rajputs lived with a lot of culture and pride. Rani Padmini is consider a goddess. Angry Rajput clans mean no funny business when they say that such a remarkable and momentous Queen’s honour should be left alone and it’s a shame that after so many years, nobody is bothered by her sacrifice and tainting her name in the mud.

But the question to ask is whether Rani Padmini a fable or was she indeed real? And if she was real, was her story of sacrifice on which the two worlds are fighting not just a fragment of imagination?

This dramatization has brought some dramatic consequences but no conclusion. As we wait for the censor board to hand down a go ahead, in our hearts we know the uselessness of emotions and castiety which marrs Indian soil. The dance of democracy gives weight to creative freedom but it also plays dirty politics with our minds.

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