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Shammi Kapoor was an absolute original, who redefined the profile of the Hindi filmhero in the late ’50s and cast him in a unique, highly individualistic mould. He was a farcry from the self-righteous ‘hero’ of the time. He broke the existing rules, made his own. After a spell of initial shock the audiences went berserk over his machismo, the roguish demeanour and the flamboyance with which he sang and danced. And he became the first hero to break into the formidable cordon of the Big Three of the time: Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, who had dominated the scene unchallenged for more than a decade. Shammi’s uncanny sense of music revolutionised the song-and-dance routine which led to the evolution of a new genre of ‘musical romance’. Unfortunately, the critics of the time failed to comprehend his highly individualistic style and swagger. And the way he violated the image of the conventional hero of the time made them pass him over as a ‘freak’. Nevertheless, history hasn’t denied him his niche. As film scholar Dr. Punita Bhatt succinctly avers, “Shammi Kapoor represented the blending of unique elements rooted in time, place, and his own talent. More important and less appreciated, is the fact that Shammi Kapoor’s contribution, like Dilip Kumar’s, has seeped into the mainstream of popular cinema in India, becoming a part of the larger tradition every actor is heir to. Jeetendra in the first phase of his career, Rajesh Khanna in early films like The Train and Aradhana and Rishi Kapoor on many occasions, are only a few of those in whom Shammi Kapoor’s influence was pronounced. In dozens of others it is less visible but there, nevertheless.”
