This actor, from a family of superstars, got married twice, once he proposed to Mumtaz, he faced rejection because…

The late Shammi Kapoor, one of the shining stars of the film world, may not be with us today, but the impact he left with his work remains. Born on October 21, 1931, Shammi Kapoor’s real name was Shamsher Raj Kapoor. Shammi Kapoor, to this day, is considered one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, Shammi Kapoor worked in more than 100 films. Born to actor Prithviraj Kapoor and a member of the Kapoor family, he made his film debut with Jeewan Jyoti (1953), which was not a commercial success. He was the brother of Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, both superstars of the film industry.

While Shammi Kapoor got a lot of love and attention from fans for his films and quality of work, he also remained in the headlines for his love life and marriages. Shammi Kapoor found love twice and got married twice too. He also once proposed marriage to Bollywood actress Mumtaz, but she refused.

Shammi Kapoor met Geeta Bali in 1955. They fell in love while shooting for Rangeen Raaten, a film in which Geeta Bali did a cameo. The couple, four months later, tied the knot at the Banganga Temple near Mumbai’s Malabar Hill. They had two sons Aditya Raj Kapoor and Kanchan Kapoor. Sadly, at the age of 35, Geeta Bali died of smallpox.

However, Shammi Kapoor found love again after 4 years and married Neila Devi Gohil, a princess from the Gohil dynasty of Bhavnagar state.

Shammi Kapoor had also proposed marriage to Mumtaz. In an interview in 2011, the actress revealed how she and Shammi Kapoor had grown close while shooting for Brahmachari. Shammi Kapoor was in love with Mumtaz and also proposed to her, however, Mumtaz stated that she politely refused to marry him because Shammi Kapoor wanted her to give up her career. The Kapoor family, at that time, was against married women in their family working in the film industry.

In another interview, Mumtaz revealed that she had met Shammi Kapoor at a party, just a few months before his death. When he saw him drinking wine and asked him about the same, Shammi Kapoor told him that he only had a few months left to live.

Shammi Kapoor died on 14 August 2011 due to chronic kidney failure, at the age of 79.

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