Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) His never-say-die attitude had begun to ebb, says megastar Amitabh Bachchan, whose wife Jaya had spoken to Shammi Kapoor a few days before he died.

“He had got tired during the last two days. Never one to give up, he spoke, for the first time in a tone that conveyed that he had had enough, to Jaya a few days ago. ‘I am tired, I can’t take it anymore’ he lamented, with choked emotion,” Amitabh posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

Shammi, the dancing star of 1950s and 1960s, was on dialysis before he died early Sunday morning. He was 79. Amitabh was not just a good friend, but also a relative to Shammi.

“Shammi Kapoor, that rebel star, tall blue eyed handsome beyond greek-god-good-looks, flamboyant, the life and energy and joie de vivre of the Indian Film Industry, that caring lovable elder, now a relative, gone … silent forever!” posted Amitabh.

“When I came to Mumbai to join films he soon ‘noticed’ me at some of the social events that I had the pleasure to visit and when I did ‘Anand’ and after, he became a constant for us. Neelaji, his second wife after the sudden death of his first, the wondrous Geeta Bali, became extremely fond of Jaya and I as did Shammiji and from then on there started a constant family like relationship. Little did I ever realise that one day it actually would fructify into a family relationship. Shweta married Niky (Nikhil Nanda), Raj Kapoorji’s daughter Ritu’s son and we had become official relatives,” he added.

The 68-year-old actor recalls that Shammi used to lovingly call him Babua, and wanted to drive a Rolls Royce.

“He would affectionately call me ‘Babua’ and every time he saw me excel in something, his was the first call. He just loved life and all that it threw to him. He never gave in,” he wrote.

“…Loved cars and driving them. He may have had problems walking during his last moments, but it never deterred him from getting behind the wheel. ‘I want to ride a Rolls Royce’, he would often say. And when I offered to send him mine to keep and drive at will, he would resist it. ‘Let me come out of the hospital then we shall both go for a drive in it,’ he had excitedly told me. We never could get that ride together,” added Amitabh.

The actor attended Shammi’s cremation in Mumbai Monday, and tweeted: “Gone! Enveloped by flames, reduced to ashes into his abode in Heaven… Shammi Kapoor! Bhagwaan aapki atma ko shanti dein (May god bless your soul)!”