A Guide to Shashi - Part 3

A Guide to Shashi

Part 3 - Shirttastic

This part is not only about a truly fabulous shirt but also includes multiple Kapoor goodness as both films star Babita, the woman who would later marry his nephew Randhir Kapoor (later they got divorced), which made her give up acting because the Kapoor women weren't supposed to work as actresses.* (Boooo!) Today, Karisma and Kareena, her two daughters, more than make up for that (Yay!).

In 1968 Shashi, Babita and the most fantastic shirt on the planet starred in Haseena Maan Jayegi. And if that wasn't enough, Shashi also played a double role!
Rakesh is the College's resident womanizer and really popular, probably because he gives great lessons on girls:

(Or maybe because secretly all the other boys fancy him? He makes for a fantastic courtesan ...)

One day he sees Archana and wants to make her his next conquest - but of course she isn't interested in someone like Rakesh. What she doesn't know, however, that Rakesh's doppelganger is also at the same college. Kamal is a poor orphan and an all around nice guy who even likes poetry. No wonder that Archana falls in love with him. Who wouldn't? Rakesh of course isn't too happy about that. Things get very dramatic ...

The film isn't perfect, mainly because the script is quite flawed and because there are far too many scenes with Johnny Walker, but Shashi and Babita do a really good job, some of the scenes are great and I had lots and lots of fun watching it (well, I had to admit that I didn't watch it in one go - I rewound and rewatched Suno Suno and Oh Dilbar Janiye about 15 times before I went on to watch the rest ... ). The music is really catchy and some songs are fantastic. (Btw. I'm still trying to find out which songs are used in Suno Suno - I know that one song is from Jab Jab Phool Khile but the others? Help!)

(I've just noticed that the only screencaps I have are of the shirt and the first song, but Maria has some others in her review.)

The second film is Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati, sadly there are hardly any remarkable shirts and only one Shashi, but at least the music is fabulous, Shashi is adorable, Babita grumpy, Prem Chopra suitably smarmy and nasty and there's adorable Laxmi Chhaya (famous for her headshaking skills in Teesri Manzil) and Helen! With feathers! Yay!

Plus: Most of the costumes make up for the lack of amazing shirts. And then there's this bedroom:

And some extremely psychdedelic wallpaper:

Rich girl Deepali is in love with Ajit (Prem Chopra) - a truly nasty character who is actually sort-of married to pregnant night club dancer Sherry. In his "slimy dirtiness" (I'm quoting the text on the DVD cover here) the evil villain even forces Sherry to have an abortion. While at the same time acting all charming and lovey-dovey with Deepali. Booo!

Fortunately for Deepali her uncle has more taste than she has and tries to set her up with yummy Pritam (Shashi) - and he's prepared to use any means necessary. As is Ajit.

Unfortunately the film does drag a bit in the middle - but the second half has enough dramatic revelations for five films, so that's alright.

Both films are really entertaining, while a tiny bit less over the top than most of Shammi's films and so I guess they're a good introduction into 60s romantic comedy. And did I mention that Shashi is more than schnuffig while doing the funky 60s headshake (or rather full-body-shake)? You want proof? Here it is: Here it will be, once youtube actually finishes processing. Whenever that will be. Update: Yay! Finally!


And for the Helenfreaks out there: Feathers!


* One exeption from that rule was Shashi's wife Jennifer Kendal, even though she wasn't in a lot of films.

Shashi Kapoor