Published By: Sayan Paul

Shashi Kapoor's Death Anniversary: A Romantic Hero In Real Life - His Eternal Love Story With Jennifer Kendal

The two first met at the prestigious Royal Opera House in Mumbai. The rest, well, seems straight out of a blockbuster Bollywood film.

"When I saw Jennifer, I was 18, and I immediately wanted to marry her." - Shashi Kapoor.

Shashi Kapoor was - as they say - peak Indian male beauty. He was a superstar of Hindi cinema whose charisma, both on and off the screen, made millions of women across the world go absolutely gaga over him. However, at his heart, there was only one woman who ruled. It's his wife, Jennifer Kendal. And their fascinating love story can outshine even Bollywood's blockbuster romantic tales.

Born on March 18, 1938, Shashi Kapoor, the youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor, became one of Hindi cinema's biggest romantic heroes during the 70s and 80s. And well, he was a romantic hero off the screen as well. At the age of 18, he crossed paths with Jennifer Kendal, an English actress who was in India at that time (thanks to a collaboration between his father Geoffry Kendal's theatre group Shakespeareana and Prithviraj Kapoor's Prithvi Theatres). It was love at first sight, however, not really a "happily ever after" story.

Credit: Film History Pics

To mark Kapoor's 7th death anniversary today, let's learn about his timeless love story with his wife, Jennifer Kendal.

The Early Phase

While growing up, Shashi Kapoor worked at Prithvi Theatres (founded by his father Prithviraj Kapoor) besides appearing in several Hindi films as a child actor. When he was around 18, he met a gorgeous English girl at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai (then Bombay) and fell deeply in love with her. The girl, Jennifer Kendal, was an established actress at Geoffry Kendal's theatre group Shakespeareana. And as it goes without saying, she, too, was mesmerized by Kapoor's charm.

Besides their cultural difference, there was also an age gap between them, as Jennifer was 5 years older than him. However, love is bigger than all obstacles, and hence their love blossomed in Kolkata (Calcutta) where they both were working at that time. And it was their shared passion for theatre and cinema that brought them closer. According to reports, Jennifer taught Kapoor phrases from Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw, while the latter exposed her to Indian culture.

The Struggle - Fighting The Obstacles

Speaking about his love story with his wife, Kapoor shared in an interview with Filmfare during the 80s, "While with Prithvi Theatres one day I saw a beautiful girl with a scarf and heavy eardrops sitting in the audience. That moment was the turning point in my life. Two years later I married Jennifer. She belongs to the stage too.”

However, it's worth noting that their relationship had its share of challenges. Particularly, Jennifer's father was strictly against it and even went to a large extent to stop their marriage from taking place. Also, society intervened as well with its reservations about intercultural marriages.

Credit: indianhistoryposts

But as you know, love is stronger than every obstacle in the world. The couple was determined to embrace all the differences between them and stay together.

The Beginning Of A New Journey - Marriage

By then, Kapoor had already established himself as a leading actor in Hindi cinema. Jennifer, on the other hand, left her father's theatre company (also her successful career in English theatre) and decided to settle down in India to stay with Kapoor.

Finally, in July 1958, the two tied the knot in a modest wedding ceremony. Kapoor's family was quite welcoming to Jennifer (for instance, Shammi Kapoor's wife Geeta gifted a dupatta to Jennifer). And this marriage set an example that inspired countless lovebirds worldwide. With time, they had three children together, sons Karan and Kunal, and daughter Sanjana.

Credit: Film History Pics

It's worth noting that although Jennifer had to quit her (English) theatre career, it wasn't an end to her career overall. In 1978, she and Shashi Kapoor established the now-famous Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai (Bombay). And they would feature in several films together, including 'Shakespeare Wallah' (1965), 'Bombay Talkie' (1970), and 'Junoon' (1978).

Credit: Film History Pics

A Tragedy - However, Not The End

Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal were made for each other, and they were incredibly happy together. However, in 1982, Jennifer was diagnosed with colon cancer and eventually passed away in 1984. Kapoor was devastated and was left with a void that would never be filled. Although he continued to act (delivering some of his finest performances), he went into depression and withdrew himself from the limelight. As his son Kunal Kapoor later revealed at a memorial, "Dad took this boat out in the middle of the sea (in Goa). When he got there, that was the first time he cried. Really, he wept."

Hanif Kureishi, who worked with Kapoor in many films, said about the same, "I think the death of Jennifer was a big blow to him. It really destroyed him."

After Jennifer's death, Kapoor used to always carry a photograph of her with him. And he never married again or was romantically involved with someone else. On December 4, 2017 - exactly 7 years ago today - he breathed his last due to liver cirrhosis (it was initially speculated to be chest infection) at the Kokilaben Hospital, Versova, Mumbai. Just like his glorious career, his love story with his wife Jennifer continues to be alive in our memories.

Rest in Peace, Kapoor Saab. We Miss You!