New Delhi: Late actor Shammi Kapoor was well-known for his extravagant lifestyle and his love for Geeta Bali, whom he eventually married. However, the marriage came to a tragic end when Geeta died of smallpox at the age of 35. Two children were born to Shammi and Geeta, and a few years after Geeta passed away, Shammi married Neila Devi. In a recent interview, Neila discussed Shammi’s relationship with Geeta and how he handled her death.
According to Neila in an interview with ETimes, she first became aware of Shammi and Geeta’s relationship while watching them compete in races in their convertible vehicles. Neila claimed that Shammi told her everything about Geeta before he proposed to her. “They were only married for 8-9 years and she passed away. It was a very big shock to him. For six months, he stayed at Raj ji’s place and Krishna ji looked after him. He was drinking non-stop,” she recalled
According to Neila Devi, Geeta Bali was “a very mature person” who “understood him (Shammi) and gave him that boost of whatever he needed to be successful.” She remembered that Geeta and Shammi had initially crossed paths in Mumbai soon after the Junglee actor’s breakup with Nutan.
“He met her here in Mumbai. During the rebound from Nutan, may be. I’m sure everybody knows about it,”Neila told ETimes.
Geeta and Shammi “both used to sing” and that this is how “they clicked,” adding that both of them had “terrific senses of humour.”
Neila also remembered a story that Shammi had related. “He was in Ranikhet filming for Rangeen Raatein. Geeta Bali claimed she would play a boy in the movie even though she had no part there other than to be with him. They fell in love there. It continued for a long until she finally said yes to him,” she recalled. Shammi proposed to Geeta, and they wed in the middle of the night.
Neila Devi also revealed that Shammi Kapoor gave up alcohol every year for 21 days, from January 1 to January 21, in memory of Geeta Bali, who fell ill on January 1 and died on January 21.