Shashi Kapoor Held My Hand & Led Me Into Cinema: Nafisa Ali

Nafisa Ali had made her acting debut opposite Shashi Kapoor in the 1978 film Junoon.

Nafisa Ali (L), Shashi Kapoor (R)

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

As Shashi Kapoor breathed his last on Monday, 4 December, tributes came pouring in, with his friends and colleagues recalling their times with the legendary actor. Nafisa Ali, a former co-star and dear friend of Shashi Kapoor, told The Quint over the phone on Tuesday that she only had fond memories of the legend. Moreover, she was indebted to Shashi Kapoor for initiating her into the Indian film industry.

Shashi literally held my hand and brought me into the world of cinema, for which I am eternally grateful.

Nafisa Ali to The Quint

Also Read: Bachchan’s Tribute to the “Incredibly Handsome” Shashi Kapoor

I have great memories with the Kapoor family. They were always by my side through my acting journey and I love them dearly. 

Nafisa Ali to The Quint

Nafisa Ali had made her Bollywood debut with Shashi Kapoor in the film Junoon (1978) as his co-actor. Shashi Kapoor had played the passionate ‘Javed’ to Nafisa Ali’s ‘Ruth’ in Junoon.

Nafisa Ali told The Indian Express, “In the film industry, people move on after a film but the Kapoors and we have always been friends. That is the uniqueness of the Kapoor family. This tradition of being welcoming, bonding, strength and courage was what Shashi taught his children as Prithviraj Kapoor had taught his.”

She also told the newspaper that for her, Shashi Kapoor was all about tehzeeb and culture, and that, he was the sort of person who “lived in a glass house and enjoyed sharing the view.”

Also Read: Now They’re All Gone: Zeenat Aman, Asha Parekh On Shashi Kapoor