By Souvik Chatterji

Shankar and Shammi with Rafi Sahab

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to rock and roll star Shammi Kapoor on 21st October, 2011. He died this year making huge number of audience sad. He had remained a dancing sensation in the 60s.

Shammi Kapoor is also admired a lot by a big section of music lovers because most of the hit songs of the 50s and 60s belonged to him and the legendary singer Mohammad Rafi had sung immense number of brilliant songs for the stylish actor.

Although in the early part of his career he had mediocre films like Laila Majnu, he bounced back in style with the film Tumsa Nahi Dekha in 1957 and Dil Deke Dekho in 1959. His stylish andaz and dancing mannerisms like Elvis Priestley created a separate image before the viewers. He in fact modernized Indian films.

His combination with Shankar Jaikishan and Mohammad Rafi was very grand. SJ composed music in almost 22 films of Shammi Kapoor and the songs of those films are still considered musical gems. Hit songs include “yahoo chahe koi mujhe jungle kahen”, “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar”, “meri yaar shabba khair”, “ay ay ya karoon me kya sukoo sukoo” sung by Rafi, composed by SJ in Junglee, “tumse accha kaun hai”, “lal chari”, “humko hai tumse pyar”, “meri muhobbat jawan raha hai”, sung by Rafi, composed by SJ in Janwar, “aye gulbadan”, “awaz deke”, composed by SJ sung by Rafi in the film Professor, “tumne pukara aur hum chale aye”, “yeh rang badalti duniya me”, “hoshiyaar”, “tumne kisi ki jaanko jate hue dekha hai”, composed by SJ, sung by Rafi in the film Raj Kumar, “aasmaan se aya farishta”, “raat ke humsafar”, “akele akele kahan ja rahe ho”, “dewaane ka naam to pucho”, “tera dil hai mera” composed by SJ and sung by Rafi in the film An Evening in Paris, “mai gayun tum so jayo”, “aajkal tere mere pyar ke charche”, “dil ke jharoke me”, “chakke pe chakka”composed by SJ sung by Rafi in the film Brahmchari, to name a few.

Shankar and Shammi with Rafi Sahab

Shankar Jaikishan composed music in other less known films of Shankar Jaikishan like Boy Friend, Andaz, Singapore, Tumse Accha Kaun Hai, Jawan Muhobbat. Mohammad Rafi’s hit songs in those films include “dil use do jo jaan de den”, “re mamma re mamma re”, “hai na bolo bolo”, “tumse accha kaun hai”, “janam janam ka saath hai”, etc. The list can go on.

Shammi Kapoor received filmfare award for best actor only once, for the performance in the film Brahmchari in 1968. But that cannot show his dominance in bollywood films in the 60s. If Rajender Kumar portrayed the sophisticated style of romance in the 60s, Shammi Kapoor portrayed the westernized dimension. Actors like Joy Mukherjee, Biswajeet followed the Shammi Kapoor style and got success in contemporary films like Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Mere Sanam, etc.

Shammi Kapoor acted opposite all the leading actresses of bollywood films in the 60s, including Sharmila Tagore in Kashmir Ki Kali, Sadhna in Raj Kumar, Asha Parekh in Teesri Manzil, Saira Banu in Junglee, Rajashree in Janwar, Hema Malini in Andaz, Mala Sinha in Dil Tera Diwana, Nutan in Laatsahab, etc. After the 70s, he switched to character roles and there also showed his skills.

Shammi Kapoor and Mohammad Rafi combination was phenomenal even in other films where music was composed other than Shankar Jaikishan. For example OP Nayyar was unparallel in Kashmir Ki Kali, Tumsa Nahi Dekha, RD Burman was excellent in Teesri Kasam, Ravi was brilliant in China Town.

Some of his memorable films in old age include Betaab, Bidhata, Prem Rog, Parvarish, etc. His films and songs should be restored to remember the golden age of Indian films with colourful music.

Souvik Chatterji, the author of this article

This blog was published on Sunday, November 27th, 2011 at 2:21 pm and is filed under Meri Awaaz Suno. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.