'Can't say much about Kareena's love life'
Mumbai has always had this creative energy that compels you to make its own rules as you go along. Personifying this spirit in the '50s and the '60s was actor Shammi Kapoor. He swung into our consciousness with a series of films, which were a lot like each other. His films were almost always boisterous, almost always cut off from reality and always fun.
Anuradha Sen Gupta: You just seemed as if you were not directed. I can't believe some of the expressions you had in scenes. In shorts, what you were doing with your body, what you were doing with your face… Was that what you were and that became all the characters you played?
Shammi Kapoor: Yes! I don't have any pretensions. I have never had any pretensions at saying that I am a damn good actor. But I gave wonderful expressions to songs, to music. I lived with the music. Music was totally mine. Those expressions were mine. There is no director behind it or no choreography behind it. I did not know how to dance.
Anuradha Sen Gupta: You were just doing your own thing?
Shammi Kapoor: All that Yahooo! and all that stuff that came out was mine. I did some wonderful songs. That is my way of expressing music. That is how I was and that came out nicely on the screen. People liked that kind of stuff I suppose. I had never had any pretensions that I am an actor. I would not throw tantrums like walk around the block or tell my directors to wait till I get into the mood.
Anuradha Sen Gupta: Your movie career…Was it work for you, was it a way of earning your livelihood? What was it for you?
Shammi Kapoor: For me work was being happy and to be able to create something that becomes a source of happiness for others as well. Joy, good vibrations, that is what you get from all my movies. We had a lot of energy and lovely music. It had the finest music in that period. Shankar Jaikishan, OP Nayyar, RD in Teesri Manzil, they all gave brilliant music.
