NEW DELHI: Actor-businessman Aditya Raj Kapoor, who was recently seen in a guest role on TV show ‘Everest’, did not take up acting seriously but says his father Shammi Kapoor always supported his decisions.Aditya, an avid biker, initially started off his career in showbiz as an assistant director and tried his luck in acting too before realising his interests were in business and travelling.
“My father was very supportive of my decision. I have always tried to do something different in life and Shammiji always stood beside me,” Aditya said.”I see many actors today who have borrowed the style of Shammiji. But I don’t feel that there is any need to re-create Shammiji and the kind of cinema he used to do. Times have changed now and I don’t feel those films can work,” he added. TV Channel Zee Classic is celebrating a film festival ‘The magic of Mastana Shammi’ by screening his blockbuster movies ‘Andaz’, ‘Brahmachari’, ‘Prince’ and ‘Professor’.
Shammi made his debut in Bollywood in 1953 and delivered his first hit with ‘Junglee’ in 1961. Kapoor, hailed as ‘Elvis Presley of India’, joined the silver screen at a time when his elder brother Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar were the reigning trio but he created a space for himself with his unique dancing style.Aditya says seeing his father, who died in 2011, on-screen is always a nostalgic moment for him.
“It’s a great feeling. I happy and at the same time feeling nostalgic. His cinema is almost over now. It’s a great endeavour by the channel,” he said. Asked about his favourite film of Shammi Kapoor, Aditya said, “My favourite film is ‘China Town’. It’s a black-and-white film. He played a double role of a singer and a gangster. I also liked him in ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’, where he played a mature character just at the age of 30.”Aditya is currently working on his next book ‘Bike on a Hike’, which will be launched by the end of this year.