Hailing from Bollywood royalty like the Kapoor family, Shashi Kapoor was quite different from his older brothers Raj and Shammi Kapoor. While Raj Kapoor juggled roles as actor, producer, and director, Shammi Kapoor was the showman. And then comes Shashi who was content at giving his all in both supporting and lead performances. It didn’t bother him if he was often overshadowed by frequent co-star Amitabh Bachchan. And not the one to get satisfied with mainstream projects, Shashi also emerged as one of the earliest Bollywood stars to act in cross-border productions.
Here’s the very best of Shashi Kapoor’s movies along with all the information you need to stream them.
Which Shashi Kapoor movies should I watch first?
To get a more mainstream understanding of Shashi Kapoor’s movies, it’s best to watch his most popular projects. These include a large share of Amitabh Bachchan-led dramas and thrillers like the ever-iconic Deewaar.
This Yash Chopra-directed classic stars Kapoor as a law-abiding police officer who must track down his estranged gangster brother played by Bachchan. Kapoor and Bachchan’s confrontational climax is immortalised today with the “Mere paas Maa hai” dialogue.
Other memorable collaborations with Bachchan included the spy thriller Shaan, the tragic romantic drama Kabhi Kabhie, the revenge saga Trishul, the miner rights’ drama Kaala Patthar, and the masala film Namak Halaal.
Along with familiar genres like romance, crime, and drama, Shashi Kapoor was also actively involved in period dramas. These include a role as a freedom fighter alongside Dilip Kumar in Kranti, and a reckless feudal lord during the Revolt of 1857 in Junoon.
Kapoor was also notably involved in collaborations with non-Indian filmmakers and actors. His own wife was British actress Jennifer Kendal who starred opposite him in Junoon. He also collaborated with Oscar-winner James Ivory for his 1966 drama Shakespeare Wallah that revolved around a travelling theatre group of Shakespearean actors in India.
The actor was also the lead in the Indo-American epic Siddhartha (based on Herman Hesse’s novel of the same name). Exploring Buddhist concepts of enlightenment, Siddhartha featured Kapoor as the titular prince searching for the meaning of life.
His other acclaimed but underrated projects include the erotic drama Utsav, the coming-of-age drama Vijeta, and the Yash Chopra-directed family drama Waqt. New Delhi Times is also a notable example with Kapoor’s performance of an investigative journalist earning him a National Award.
One of his unforgettable final performances was as an aging Urdu poet in In Custody, an adaptation of the Booker Prize-nominated novel of the same name.
In 1998, the drama Ghar Bazaar marked his final role with a special appearance. Following this, Kapoor retired from acting and was later honoured with a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement award in 2010.
Why is Deewaar the best Shashi Kapoor movie to watch?
While Shashi Kapoor’s acting range as a lead is the most impressive in Junoon and New Delhi Times, it’s Deewaar that makes him immortal. Yes, Amitabh Bachchan is the lead actor but it’s Kapoor’s earnest portrayal of Sub-Inspector Ravi Varma that is equally impactful. He is not only the ideal cop but the ideal son, tailoring Kapoor for morally righteous characters. With Yash Chopra’s dramatic direction and Salim-Javed’s quotable screenplay, Deewaar is an undisputed cult classic.
Where can you watch the best Shashi Kapoor movies online?
Below you can find the latest streaming information for Shashi Kapoor’s best movies. This includes every offer for viewers in India today. We'll also show you if any of his best movies are available to watch online for free.