'Shashi Kapoor - the Householder, the Star', authored by film journalist Aseem Chhabra, attempts to delve into the nature and nurture of Kapoor, who proved his might as more than a natural star born into the first family of Hindi film industry as he became the commercially viable superstar and a critically acclaimed actor.
The Rupa Publications, offers glimpses of Kapoor, the family man - son of Prithviraj Kapoor, husband of Jennifer Kendal, and father to Kunal, Karan and Sanjna, while it tracks the emergence of a bright-eyed boy who made his acting debut in brother Raj Kapoor's directorial maiden 'Awaara' (1951) to one of the busiest performers in the 1970s.
Set for its official launch on May 6, the biography also traces the affable Bollywood star's forays into world cinema as also his pioneering works in the theatre circuit.
The 216-page book, whose first edition goes on sale later
this month, also takes into account the astute businessman that the suave superstar has been, citing among others his prowess as the distributor of 'Bobby', the launching pad of nephew Rishi Kapoor, which revived the debt-stricken RK Films, the production company founded by his eldest brother Raj Kapoor.
With luminous and thus-far undisclosed stories by the actor's family, colleagues and friends, a compelling foreword by filmmaker Karan Johar, and stunning photographs from Merchant-Ivory's archives, the biography is as captivating as Shashi Kapoor, the star.
Priced around Rs 330, the hard cover is available for pre-order online.