Bollywood prepares to bid adieu to Shashi Kapoor

Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor, who passed away at a city hospital here a day ago, will be cremated on Tuesday amid rains and cold as Cyclone Ockhi lashes the city’s shores.

The last rites of the 79-year-old actor will take place at the Santacruz Hindu Crematorium at 12 noon.The veteran matinee star breathed his last at 5.20 p.m. at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Monday after a period of hospitalisation.

It was one of those rare winter evenings in Mumbai when it started pouring after sunset, perhaps a mere coincidence, that Indian cinema lost one of its iconic stars, the youngest son of Prithvi Raj Kapoor, a name inseparable from Indian theatre and founder of Prithvi Theatre.

Large numbers of Bollywood personalities visited Kapoor’s Prithvi House to pay their respects to the late actor, a member of the Kapoor dynasty that has dominated the Hindi film industry for decades.

Around 8 p.m., a white car stopped at the house and megastar Amitabh Bachchan stepped out along with son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.Big B appeared deeply emotional losing one of his most frequent co-stars of the 70s. The two shared great on-screen equation as his brother in “Deewar”, besides “Roti Kapada Aur Makaan”, “Kabhi Kabhie”, “Trishul”, “Namak Halaal” and “Silsila” among others.

The Bachchans joined the late actor’s son Kunal Kapoor and nephews Rishi, Randhir and Rajiv Kapoor. Rishi Kapoor who was shooting in Delhi for his upcoming film ‘Rajma Chawal’ cancelled his work and flew back to Mumbai.

They were followed by actress



Kajol and then Rani Mukherjee who came along with choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant.Slowly, rest of the members of Kapoor family started coming in. They included Sashi Kapoor’s sister-in-law and widow of late Raj Kapoor, Krishna Raj Kapoor along with her grandchildren including Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan along with Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor with mother Babita Kapoor.

Other family members — Reema Kapoor, Shweta Nanda Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Neetu Singh were joined by Sanjay Kapoor, who also visited the late actor’s house.

Many associates of Kapoor family gathered at the main entrance of Prithvi Theatre. They lit candles to pay their condolences before the photograph of the ever charming superstar of Indian cinema.

Sashi Kapoor, who won several national film awards, was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2011. He received the Dadasahed Phalke award in 2015.

Simi Garewal, one of the co-stars of the late actor, who appeared in a number of British and American films, tweeted: ” I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my co-star Shashi Kapoor. The last of that generation of Kapoors gone. A gentleman and friend gone. An era gone.. All that remains are his films…and precious memories. RIP Shashiji.”

Together they appeared in films like “Siddhartha”, “Kabhi Kabhie”.

Kamal Haasan tweeted: “Thank you Shashi Kapoor sahab. For what you did for Indian Theatre and Cinema. Thank you the Kapoor family for carrying the service forward. Tearful Salute to a man who loved the arts. Condolences to many fans like me. His family included.”