When you remember Shammi Kapoor, it's always the swashbuckling hero who had his unique dance style and rhythm in movies. He was the Elvis Presley of India, someone who used to choreograph his own roles. One other aspect of this man is the way he talked about his life. He was unabashed. His life was both dramatic and tragic. He was also know as a Kapoor who wore his heart on his sleeves. The man also believed in upgrading with changing times and even launched his own website where used to share moments from his life. One such moment in his life was when he met the Cairo based belly dancer Nadia Gamal. This led to him getting ready to leave India and settle in Egypt! Eternals Star Kumail Nanjiani Opens Up About His Love for Bollywood Movies, Names Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Shammi Kapoor His Fave Stars.
A Rediff story quotes Shammi Kapoor saying, "One evening in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), I had gone to watch a cabaret. I had never seen one before. The girl who performed was a celebrated belly dancer by the name of Nadia Gamal. She was breathtakingly beautiful and danced brilliantly. I made it a point to meet her after the performance and compliment her."
"With me are my grandmother, my grandfather
and my girlfriend, Nadia Gamal a belly dancer who I met in Ceylon and as we were in love we were to get married. Somehow things didn’t work"
~ Shammi Kapoor pic.twitter.com/Wqz7nGwOlm
— ayushraj (@aashikk_aawara) September 1, 2021
Kapoor went on to say in the interview that he was so madly in love with her, he didn't mind settling down in Egypt with her. So what happened? "I escorted Nadia to the premiere of one of Rajji's films. I think it was Awara, but I don't remember for sure, at the Liberty Cinema. I even introduced her to my family, including my parents and grandparents. The next day, Nadia flew back to Cairo, and I returned to work with a heavy heart," Kapoor had reminisced in the interview. Shammi Kapoor Birth Anniversary: Did You Know The Legendary Actor Replaced Dev Anand In Teesri Manzil?.
Shammi Kapoor got married to Geeta Bali in 1955 and later learnt that Nadia too had found someone to settle with.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2022 08:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).