'Can't say much about Kareena's love life'
Anuradha Sen Gupta: An entire generation of people may not be familiar with the films that you have made. Though I have grown up with that kind of music. If I were to describe to them what Shammi Kapoor and his movies were like, would you agree if I said that he was like Twenty20 cricket?
Shammi Kapoor: That is very popular these days (laughs). Isn't it?
Anuradha Sen Gupta: And it created a mix of glamour, skill, instinct, which is such a cocktail that did not exist before?
Shammi Kapoor: I don't know. I suppose. There is a period in my life starting from Tumsa Nahi Dekha, then I was very sure of myself. I knew what I wanted to do. And I knew that I'd do it. And I couldn't care less of who was the director, or who was starring opposite me. I got new girls as a matter of fact. It didn't make any difference to me as long as they acted well with me. I was so sure of myself.
Anuradha Sen Gupta: And you had the music.
Shammi Kapoor: Music was always there with me. Without music I could not move. Everyone was nice to me. For Kashmir Ki Kali, Shakti Sawant, Sharmila, and myself we all went to Nayyar's office in Mahalakshmi. Asha Bhonsle and Nayar's writer were also there. We opened our bottle and Shakti, Nayar and me had a drink. And then he opened his harmonium and he said that I am going to give you your music for Kashmir Ki Kali and I selected 12 songs in one sitting. That was it. He gave me 52 tunes, he played Diwana Hua Badal, and Tareef Karoon, all songs in one sitting at 12 in the night. We finished the bottle. We finished the music session and the music for Kashmir Ki Kali was decided.
My association with music was there from the inception of the situation that was created in the film. When the song was created, when the music was created, when the situation was decided as to which song comes when and when Rafiji has to sing it at the recording hall, Shammi Kapoor was sitting all throughout. And I tell him what I want. That was the equation I had with Rafiji. He knew what I wanted. And he sang it that way. So, right from the beginning till the song is recorded, I am there. The song is within me. I don’t need to hear it.
As a matter of fact, in Evening in Paris, I did a song from the helicopter.
