SHAMMI KAPOOR THE GAME CHANGER

Shammi Kapoor was an absolute
original, who redefined the profile of the Hindi film hero 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 whichhe sang and
danced. And he became the first hero to break into the formidable cordon of
the Big Three of the time: Raj Kapoor, DilipKumar and Dev Anand, who had
dominated the scene unchallenged for more than a decade. Shammi’s uncanny
sense of musicrevolutionised the song-and-dance routine which led to the
evolution of a new genre of ‘musical romance’. Unfortunately, the criticsof
the time failed to comprehend his highly individualistic style and swagger.
And the way he violated the image of the conventionalhero 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.”