In a recent interview, Shammi Kapoor's wife, Neila Devi opened up about his drinking habit and short temper. However, he didn't touch alcohol from Jan 1 to Jan 21. Here's why!
Late Shammi Kapoor was hailed as one of the greatest actors of his generation. The handsome hunk, who was linked to many gorgeous actresses, tied the knot with his ladylove, Geeta Bali. However, their story was short-lived as Geeta left for her heavenly abode in 1965, leaving her two kids, Aditya and Kanchan behind. Later, on June 27, 1969, Shammi got married to Neila Devi, in a hush-hush wedding in Mumbai.
In an interview with the ETimes, Shammi Kapoor's wife, Neila Devi talked about him having a temper and revealed that he would drink a lot at parties and would create a scene even if somebody stepped on his toes. However, she said that he would want to know all about the incident the next day. Talking about the same, she said:
"He had a temper. He couldn't take certain things. Let me put it this way. If anybody stepped on his toes he would react. So in parties, such things used to happen. He used to drink heavily in those days. But to his credit, the next day, he wanted to know from me what had transpired. Slowly, he changed."
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Shammi Kapoor's wife, Neila Devi also revealed that the late actor met Geeta Bali in Mumbai during the rebound from his ex-girlfriend, Nutan. Sharing how Geeta understood Shammi and gave him the boost of whatever he needed to be successful, Neila revealed how the duo tied the knot in Banganga in the middle of one night. In her words:
"Geeta Bali gave Shammi ji the boost he needed. She had a terrific sense of humour. I think they fell in love on the rebound of Nutan. Geeta helped him to become Shammi Kapoor, The Rebel Star. It was on the sets of 'Rangeen Raaten' that they fell in love with each other. And then, they too got married in Banganga in the middle of one night. She didn't say 'yes' to him immediately, though. It is so sad that she died so soon. Geeta Bali's demise hit Shammi ji very hard. He had started staying at Raj Kapoor ji and Krishna ji's house. He started drinking non-stop."
Further in the interview, Neila Devi shared that her husband, Shammi Kapoor would not listen when it came to drinks and cigarettes. However, he had an annual ritual of not touching drinks from January 1 to January 21, as Geeta Bali had fallen sick on January 1 and passed away on January 21. In her words:
"He would not listen when it came to drinks and cigarettes- unless he didn't want to drink on certain days. Like, every year, he never drank from January 1 to January 21. Geeta Bali had fallen sick on January 1, and she had passed away on January 21. He observed this every single year throughout his life after Geeta Bali passed away. He smoked about 100 cigarettes a day. That's how his lungs got spoiled."
Neila Devi also shared that Shammi Kapoor's health deteriorated in 2003 and he got admitted to Breach Candy Hospital for a month and was put on a ventilator. Recalling the time when his dialysis had begun, the loving wife shared that his condition got worse with time. However, she mentioned that she was completely dependent on him, but he always asked her to stop worrying about him. She said:
"In 2003, he got admitted to Breach Candy Hospital for a month and he was on a ventilator. That's because his lungs had gotten adversely affected. He was put on steroids and antibiotics. After that, his kidneys got affected. And, dialysis began. Then, the dialysis became thrice a week; initially it was once a week. I was completely dependent on him. He taught me that I should learn to stop worrying about him and not cave in. He said that life is meant to be lived and I should do just that. You might laugh. I am an educated person but I didn't know how to write a cheque."
What do you think about Shammi Kapoor's wife Neila Devi's revelations?
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