The suave and chic Shashi Kapoor took Indian cinema by storm in the 1960s and continued to impress the audiences till 1980s. A descendant of the Kapoor family, Shashi Kapoor was born as Balbir Raj Kapoor. He is the youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor and brother to Raj and Shammi Kapoor. Shashi Kapoor had a huge female following in his heyday. He started his career as a child artist with films like Bhakta Dhruva (1947) and Muraliwala (1951). But his first film as the lead actor was in the film Char Diwari (1961). In the 1960s he appeared in several mind-blowing films and quickly captured the hearts of the audiences. His innate charm and dashing looks completely bowled over the masses and classes alike. Shashi Kapoor delivered his performances with utmost ease.

One of the films in the 1970s that deserves special is Sharmilee (1971) with Rakhee. This intriguing film was a box office hit and it gave a big boost to Shashi Kapoor`s film career. Apart from Rakhee Mumtaz, Hema Malini, Rekha, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh, Sharmila Tagore and Zeenat Aman are some of the leading ladies with whom Shahsi Kapoor shared the screen. But there is one Bollywood actor with whom Shahsi Kapoor made a fabulous team and that was Amitabh Bachchan. Together they starred in films like Deewar, Do aur Do Paanch, Silsila, Trishul and Kabhi Kabhi. He was also a regular face in the Yash Chopra movies. In fact it was Yash Chopra`s Deewar (1975) that fetched him Best Supporting Actor Award at the Filmfare Awards.

Shahsi Kapoor is one of those lucky few who got the opportunity to work with Shyam Benegal time and again. The Bollywood actor`s love for the stage is unprecedented. It is his association with theatre that had also helped him to deliver some of the finest performances in his career. He was the main driving force behind the resurrection of the Prithvi theatres after Prithviraj Kapoor fell ill. Both he and his wife, Jennifer Kapoor, helped Prithvi theatres to thrive.

It was with New Delhi Times (1986) that Shashi Kapoor won the National Award in the Best Actor category. However it is difficult to judge the forte of an actor with the number of awards. Shashi Kapoor can easily be termed as a complete actor who shuffled successfully between stage and screen. At a later stage of his career he donned the cap of the director and made Ajooba (1991) with Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. As a producer he made some of the most popular offbeat films like Junoon, a Shyam Benegal film. Set in revolutionary India Junoon narrates the love of a married nawab for a European girl who is a hostage at his home.

It was the tragic death of his beloved wife that was responsible to a large extent in his alienation from the silver screen. But the heartthrob of the yesteryears, Shashi Kapoor, is still involved with theatres along with his daughter, Sanjana Kapoor.

Shashi Kapoor received the following awards as his contribution to the Hindi film industry:
BFJA Award Best Actor for Jab Jab Phool Khile, 1965
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Deewar, 1975
National Film Awards for Best Actor for New Delhi Times, 1986
BFJA Award Best Actor for New Delhi Times, 1988

A filmography of Shashi Kapoor will include the following:

Dharamputra (1961)	Siddhartha (1972)	Suhaag (1979)	Heat and Dust (1982)
The Householder (1963)	Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973)	Kaala Patthar (1979)	New Delhi Times (1986)
Waqt (1965)	Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974)	Kalyug (1980)	Ilzaam (1986)
Shakespeare Wallah (1965)	Chor Machaye Shor (1974)	Do Aur Do Paanch (1980)	Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987)
Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965)	5 Rifles (1975)	Shaan (1980)	Pyaar Ki Jeet (1987)
Aamne Samne (1967)	Deewaar (1975)	Kranti (1981)	The Deceivers (1988)
Pretty Polly (1967)	Kabhi Kabhie (1976)	Silsila (1981)	In Custody (1993)
Haseena Maan Jayegi (1968)	Immaan Dharam (1977)	Baseraa (1981)	Gulliver`s Travels (1996)
Pyaar Ka Mausam (1969)	Trishul (1978)	Vijeta (1982)	Jinnah (1998)
Bombay Talkie (1970)	Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)	Namak Halaal (1982)	Side Streets (1998)
Sharmilee (1971)	Junoon (1978)	Sawaal (1982)

Apart from being a powerhouse performer Shashi Kapoor is popular in the film industry as a perfect gentleman.