Thousands of people braved incessant rain and gathered outside the Santacruz Hindu Crematorium to pay respects to veteran actor Shashi Kapoor, who passed away on Monday at the age of 79.
Shashi Kapoor was cremated with full state honours. The Tricolour was wrapped around his body and a three-gun salute was offered by the Mumbai Police, followed by a minute’s silence. His last rites were performed by his elder son Kunal, in the presence of his second son Karan, daughter Sanjana and relatives and members of the film fraternity.
Leading the film industry were Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Shyam Benegal, and Salim Khan, among others. Earlier, actors Naseeruddin Shah, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor and Aamir Khan came to Janaki Kutir, the Kapoor residence in Juhu, to attend a prayer meeting before the funeral.
‘He has no match’
Mourning fans outside the crematorium recalled memories of their favourite actor. Sunita Mahant stood in the rain for nearly two hours.
“Today’s stars can’t match up to him,” said the mother of three. “When I heard the news last night, it brought tears to my eyes. So many memories are linked to his movies,” she said. She felt the rain had robbed her of one last glimpse. “Had it not been raining they would definitely have had an open-air journey to the crematorium, like they did for Rajesh Khanna,” she added.
Avatar Singh, another fan, equated Shashi Kapoor to Sanjeev Kumar. “Both were my favourites. You will not find actors who can share space with other great artistes and yet make their presence felt,” said Mr. Singh.
Ramesh Chandanshive recalled how he had used four annas, given by his mother to buy flour, to watch Jab Jab Phool Khile at Diana Talkies in Tardeo.
“I didn't go home after the movie and went to the local temple instead. When my mother came looking for me, I lied to her, saying that I was scared to come home because I had lost the money. It was only years later that I told her the truth,” said Mr. Chandanshive. By 2 p.m., the funeral was over and most of the attending family members and celebrities had left. Only Ms. Mahant remained standing, waiting for the crematorium to empty out. She then went over to the platform where Shashi Kapoor's body had been placed before cremation and paid her respects silently, before leaving.
