We'll start with our man of the moment, Shashi Kapoor.
All shiny and new in 1975. We love you, Shashi ji!! Sorry for objectifying you all the time.
Honestly, Shashi's like a Radiohead album. For example, Hail to the Thief. You start by listening to the hits - 2+2=5 or There There or Aa Gale Lag Jaa - like ten gajillion times. But then, once you are sated of those to the point where you can anticipate every beat, you start turning to the lesser-played tracks - like Where I End And You Begin (which is such a fabulous song) or Immaan Dharam or Ghungroo - and then they become your new favorites.
But we have moved even beyond that in our current Shashi season. We've gotten to the point of loving the live Glastonbury version of Where I End or, that is, 80s Shashi.
Is this making any sense? It made sense in the car earlier.
Anyway, the point is: we love Radiohead, we love Shashi Kapoor. Just like we prefer abstract, pomo Radiohead of Kid A, so do we usually prefer hard-core Byronic masala Shashi of Chor Sipahee. Just like Radiohead had their pop days, so Shashi had his pop days. And so on.
Why should I love: Shashi Kapoor?
Oh, let us count the ways.
1. You should love Shashi because he is a great single father who takes his son on elephant and pony rides.
2. You should love Shashi because he really cares about worker's rights.
3. You should love Shashi because he will begrudgingly drive you home when you're wasted... and then fall in love with you, despite himself!
4. You should love Shashi because he looks great in pearl earrings.
5. You should love Shashi because he loves India to the point of wanting to pay taxes.
6. You should love Shashi because even though that love of India might turn a bit xenophobic, he still has an adorable way of talking to himself.
7. You should love Shashi because sometimes nobody loves him.
8. You should love Shashi because he looks good at all stages of facial hair progression.
9. You should love Shashi because sometimes he looked like he was made of plastic, all shiny and new.
10. You should love Shashi because he takes time off from being a jet pilot to sing transcendental songs in the park.
The gratuitous cute Shashi pic. Yeah. Couldn't help it.
