When Shammi Kapoor-Geeta Bali tied the knot at 4 am, used lipstick instead of sindoor: ‘Meri maang mein daal dijiye’

Actor Shammi Kapoor, who was one of the megastars of his era, was not just an excellent performer, but a loved public figure. He made his film debut with Jeevan Jyoti (1953) and ruled Bollywood from the late 1950s-early 1970s. October 21 marks his 90th birth anniversary.

Just like his acting skills, his love story with Geeta Bali has also won many hearts. He first met Geeta during the making of Miss Coca Cola (1955), which was produced and directed by Hari Ahluvalia. Later when Shammi realised that he has fallen in love with Geeta, he proposed marriage to her many times but she refused him. On August 23, 1955, Shammi once again proposed to Geeta at Bombay’s Juhu Hotel, and this time, she agreed to marry him.

In an old interview with The Quint, Shammi described the event saying, “I proposed to Geeta again, knowing she’d shake her head once more and smile. But she didn’t. Instead, she knocked me out of my wits. She said, ‘Ok Shammi, let’s get married. But it’s got to be now’.” 

Shammi also shared, “I did three films with Geeta–Coffee House, Coca Cola, and Mohar. We really liked each other and fell in love. She was a star and I was a nobody, yet she believed in me. I kept proposing to her and after three years, in 1955, we got married (August 24, 1955) here at Bandra at 4 O’clock in the morning. We took our pheras (rounds around sacred fire during wedding), then she took out a lipstick from her purse and gave it to me, ‘Meri maang mein daal dijiye (apply it on my forehead)’ she said and that’s what I did. It was beautiful. She was very strong support for me. After her death, I became so reckless and lonely.”

Read More: Shammi Kapoor’s son recalls quitting Bollywood on the eve of Bollywood debut, says his ‘Guruji’ told him to ‘leave the film industry’

In 1956, the couple welcomed their first child, Aditya Raj Kapoor and in 1961, they welcomed their daughter, Kanchan. However, four years later, Geeta contracted smallpox while shooting for Rano, and on January 21, 1965, she died at the age of 34.

Shammi, during his film career, delivered a number of hits including, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Singapore, Junglee, College Girl, Professor, China Town, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya and Kashmir Ki Kali, among others.