Shashi Kapoor was born on March 18, 1938, as Balbir Raj Kapoor to his parents, Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Mehra Kapoor, in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Like his brothers, Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, Shashi also ventured into acting and is often considered as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema. The third generation of the Kapoor family, consisting of the trio of Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Shashi Kapoor, is often considered among the finest generations in a film family in India. In a career spanning more than four decades, Shashi Kapoor appeared in 175 films.
The list of movies in which Shashi Kapoor impressed the audiences with his acting is quite long. However, if we are supposed to pick some of his top-notch films, it will include the likes of Dharmputra, The Householder, Waqt, Shakespeare Wallah, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Junoon, Bombay Talkie, Heat And Dust, and many more. Not everyone is aware of the fact that after the massive success of his film, Dharmputra, which was directed by Yash Chopra, Shashi Kawas bestowed with a National Award.
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To everyone's surprise, Shashi Kapoor declined the prestigious award because he didn't consider his acting performance in Dharmputra worthy of an award as big as the National Award. The actor's humility left an everlasting mark in Indian cinema as it was rare to see an actor saying 'no' to a National Award. In the following years, Shashi went on to win multiple National Awards for films, Junoon, New Delhi Times, and In Custody.
Shashi Kapoor got married to Jennifer Kendal in July 1958, and the couple's intercultural marriage turned many heads. Shashi and Jennifer welcomed their first son, Kunal Kapoor, on June 26, 1959. The couple embraced parenthood for the second time on January 18, 1962, when Jennifer gave birth to Karan Kapoor. It was on November 27, 1967, when Shashi and Jennifer's family completed after the birth of their daughter, Sanjana. Unfortunately, Jennifer passed away on September 7, 1984, at the age of 51, due to colon cancer.
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Jennifer Kendal's demise was a massive shock for Shashi Kapoor, and the actor went into depression. However, he pulled himself out of it for the sake of his children, Kunal Kapoor, Karan Kapoor, and Sanjana Kapoor. In the following years, all four of them became each other's biggest support after the demise of Jennifer Kendal. It was on December 4, 2017, when Shashi Kapoor passed away due to liver cirrhosis at the age of 79. The iconic Bollywood actor was honoured posthumously at the 90th Academy Awards.
Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal's children, Kunal Kapoor, Karan Kapoor, and Sanjana Kapoor followed in their father's footsteps. However, the audiences rejected all three of them, courtesy of their looks and acting skills. As per multiple reports, Kunal, Karan, and Sanjana's British looks and accent significantly hindered their respective acting careers. Soon, all three of them quit acting and ventured into different professions, and as of now, they're successful and content in their respective lives.
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The legendary actor, Shashi Kapoor's eldest son, Kunal Kapoor made his acting debut with the English-language film, Siddartha. In the following years, he worked in a series of films like Junoon, Ahista Ahista, Vijeta, Utsav, Trikal, Singh is Bling and Panipat. However, he couldn't make it big in his acting career, which was the way he left acting to venture into ad filmmaking. Kunal Kapoor founded an ad filmmaking company by the name, 'Ad Filmwalas,' and went on to direct more than 800 television ads. Kunal is currently one of the country's biggest and most successful ad filmmakers.
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Karan Kapoor is among the most handsome people in the entire bloodline of the Kapoor family. In his younger days, he was nothing less than a Hollywood actor. Unfortunately, his British look became his biggest weakness when he wanted to make a career in Bollywood. For the uninitiated, Karan made his acting debut in Junoon, after which he was seen in just three more films, 36 Chowringhee Lane, Sultanat, and Loha.
Karan Kapoor turned his passion for photography into his profession after not getting enough success as an actor in Hindi cinema. He opened a photography company in London and went on to work with many international clients. After making a name for himself in the photography industry, he came back to India and did many exhibitions. In 2009, Karan won a major award at the International Photography Awards, which cemented his legacy as a photographer.
Shashi Kapoor's daughter, Sanjana Kapoor often gets overshadowed in the public eye due to her brothers, Kunal Kapoor and Karan Kapoor. However, not everyone is aware of the fact that she also tried her luck in acting. She made her acting debut in 36 Chowringhee Lane and later appeared in the movies, Utsav, Salaam Bombay!, Hero Hiralal, and Aranyaka.
However, Sanjana Kapoor failed to impress the audience and critics with her acting skills, which is why she bid farewell to Hindi cinema. After leaving acting, Sanjana ran Prithvi Theatre for some time before launching her own theatre group, Junoon, in 2012. As of now, she is running her theatre group in peace and continues to stage plays across the nation.
What do you think about Shashi Kapoor's children, Kunal Kapoor, Karan Kapoor, and Sanjana Kapoor, becoming successful in their lives after failing as actors in Bollywood? Let us know.
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