Yahoo mantra
At 78, battling health problems, the legendary Shammi Kapoor lives it up every moment. He shares 10 dos and don’ts for a happier life with Indu Mirani
By Indu Mirani
Posted On Friday, October 30, 2009 at 02:52:58 AM
It’s just impossible to keep the irrepressible Shammi Kapoor down. He’s wheel-chair bound and dialysis dependent three days a week. But that doesn’t bog down the Junglee actor, who believes life is meant to be lived to the fullest, by developing passions and forming close bonds with loved ones. Here are his mantras to do just that.
1. Don’t crib. Take life for what it is. There’s no point thinking that uske paas Mercedes gaadi hai aur mere paas nahi hai. You’ve got to enjoy the car that you have. I enjoy driving, I have a Mercedes S class 350. But I would be stupid if I cribbed that Amitabh Bachchan has a Rolls Royce, why don’t I have one? C’mon, enjoy your Merc, you never had a Merc to begin with!
2. Keep yourself occupied. As they say very correctly, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Mere father ek sher sunaya karte the, mujhe woh sher yaad nahi hai but I know the meaning. “Arey kuch na kuch kiya kar. Aur nahi to kapde udhaad kar siya kar.” If you don’t have anything to do, then break a plate and try putting it together again
.3. Have a passion. For instance, I have a passion for driving. And despite being on a wheel-chair, when I get into a car, I am okay. I make myself comfortable and then go for long drives.
4. I am fascinated by good movies. I can’t go to the cinema so I watch them on DVDs. I have a fabulous collection of old movies right from the black and white era, of actors who ruled the roost then, whom you might not have even heard of. I have Ronald Colman’s Random Harvest and another movie called Double Life for which he got the Oscar. Then I have Good Bye Mr Chips and Gaslight starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer; they are all Oscar-winning movies. I watch them over and over again. Every time I see them, I enjoy the films even more.
5. I am a sports-oriented person. As a child, I indulged in a lot of sport. Now, I have a passion for watching football, cricket, tennis and golf. I have played a lot of golf too.
6. Stay connected. Always. The net is such a beautiful platform to take off from. You are always in the sky, you are always roaming around. You meet friends and a lot of beautiful girls also! You must always have an eye for a beautiful girl. It keeps you alive. You should be a lover of beauty. (Does this go for Dr. McSteamy too?)
7. Keep friends and family near you. Family is foremost. They are the nearest people who care for you, friends come after them.
8. Party. You must enjoy going to parties and throwing parties too. Lots of people only attend parties. That’s not the right attitude. You must also host bashes.Also learn to enjoy good food — cooking and eating. I used to do a lot of cooking during my heydays when I used to go for shikaar. In the jungles you learn survival. You learn to light a fire and cook a meal with your prey. I was a smoker, so I always had a lighter. Since I am also a drinker, I always had a flask. That is all that you need — to cook yourself a meal in the forests. Some meat, some fire and some brandy to cook it with. I can prepare a good meal.
9. Have a passion for spending money. That’s the best way of enjoying your money instead of it lying and collecting dust in the bank. I spend on a lot of things. I spend on music — a passion which has always been manifest in my movies. I splurge on DVDs, TV and stuff. Moreover, I never think twice before spending money on friends.
10. Have a passion for your wife...however old she is, however she looks. She is the person who really looks after you without asking for anything in return.
