The "Professor" of Carefree Dancing - Shammi Kapoor

Today, it was that time of the year when millions of Mumbaikars flock on the streets to be a part of the immersion procession of their beloved elephant God – Ganesha. People enjoy the dhol-tasha-lezhim rhythms, the carefree dancing, the colours of gulal, and are lost in the spiritual extravaganza seeking blessings from their Lord. The elderly watch the processions with their folded hands, and the little ones smile-giggle-clap looking at the huge idols. The mood overall all is ecstatic and emotional with the devotees bellowing requests for their Lord to come back soon next year. I have been watching such scenes year after year, and I still enjoy it, especially the dhol music.

I was traveling today from Pune to Mumbai, on the last day of Ganesh festival. I was worried most of the time that I might get stuck up somewhere in traffic and things would get frustrating. However, fortunately the journey was safe, quick, and pleasing. Though there were a few traffic jam bottlenecks, I managed to ignore them, as I was enjoying the scenes of processions outside. I got nostalgic, remembering the times when I used to dance in such processions, caring a damn about anyone is thinking about my dancing patterns. Till date, my legs shudder when I hear the dhol and tasha beats, and the tempo increases as the music draws closer. Sitting in the bus, I was closely observing the people dancing – the men, women, children, all alike. I was smiling at all that I was witnessing. It is so much fun to dance like that, everything natural and uncontrolled.

After a while (having minutely seen the dance steps), I was somehow reminded of Shammi Kapoor. The dance steps of the people in the processions closely resembled that of Shammi Kapoor. I was soon absorbed into thinking about all his dance oriented songs, his dance lets out an unprompted merriment. I doubt if his songs were ever choreographed, every step and movement he did appeared very natural. Much of the Ganpati dance that I have seen others do, and even which I did during my younger days, draw straight references from Shammi Kapoor’s dance steps, directly or indirectly.

Do you remember any of Shammi Kapoor’s dancing acts? From where did he get an inspiration for such impromptu steps? "It was an expression of joy after having won over my lady love,” he admits profoundly. Shammi Kapoor was among the India’s first singing and dancing star (Dev Anand had just swayed in his songs, his performance in song were commendable, albeit). Shammi Kapoor’s dance format is still acclaimed with the “Indian Beatles” status. He had indeed developed a style of his own and there was a period when audiences rushed to movie halls just to observe his gestures and lively performances. Look at his style of strumming the guitar and taking bending footsteps, he was compared to Elvis Presley, and soon became an Indian version of Presley. Shammi Kapoor confesses in an interview on BBC (Hindi) that though he had tried dance classes he could never learn it and failed miserably. Possibly, he practiced his own discoveries of dance. May be, he had good sense of music and rhythm. He also admits modestly that when Helen would dance, he would just contribute with facial expressions and brisk movements – he isn’t a bluffmaster…hahaha. He could roll, turn, jump, bend, sway, fall, crawl with amazing grace. In all his dance numbers he has showcased zany dance steps. However, despite all twists and turn in any direction and still maintain his balance.

Still looking at the dancers in the procession, some songs flashed across my memory that truly depict the Shammi Kapoor’s dancing talent, and the resemblance to present day tapoori dance. “Govinda Ala Re” (Bluff Master) is among my best Shammi Kapoor songs, watch this song for the real street dance, and I am sure you will want to dance like this during next Govinda and Ganpati festival. Then there is “Dil Deke Dekho Ji” (Dil Deke Dekho) with excellent drumming skills displayed, LOL… nodding of head, and shrugging of shoulders – everything stylish and elegant sitting at one place. I also like the song “Aiga Aiga Kya Ho Gaya” (Boyfriend) with Shammi Kapoor opposite Madhubala. One more song from the B/W era that I like and enjoy his dance with Asha Parekh is “To Boloji Kya Karey Diwana” (I don’t remember the movie :-[ ) – in this song you must also watch the steps of the dance troupe and their clapping sequences synchronized with their dance steps.

Come the colour movie revolution and Shammi Kapoor roared “Yahoooo” in his first colour movie Junglee. “Chahey Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahoo” and “Din Sara Gujara Tere Angana”, two songs from this movie that have vibrant and wonderful dancing moments. Every song in Teesri Manzil is an amazing hit where Shammi Kapoor pumps life into dance sequences. “Badan Pe Sitarey Lapatey Huye” (Prince) is a classic representation that in this song lay the roots of today’s Ganpati dance. See “Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche” (Brahmachari) and you will be reminded of the Beatles dancing. “Taarif Karu Kya Uski” and “Meri Jaan Balle Balle” from Kashmir Ki Kali are again two songs that showcase Shammi Kapoor’s boneless body movements. These are just a few songs that I could remember looking outside the bus window. There will be many, I am sure, if you want to see Shammi Kapoor’s dance mania.

While many dancers came later into the Bollywood like Govinda, Mithun, and others (Hrithik, Shahid fall in a different league) who just may be improvised what Shammi Kapoor had sowed. There was Bhiku Mhatre (Manoj Bajpai in Satya doing “Kallu Mama” and “Sapne Mein Milti Hai”), who was copied for some time for dances on streets, his steps however, short lived. I must make a special mention to Bhagwaan Dada here (“Bholi Soorat Dil Ke Khote” fame), who also had introduced a unique style of dancing and was popular among many. People danced Bacchan, Kaka, and various other forms of dancing. However, observing all those, I still feel that the modern day dance forms (specifically the freestyle-carefree ones) are offshoots of Shammi Kapoor’s dancing pattern. This Prince(ly) looking, Junglee dancer was can be truly called the Professor of freestyle dance.