Shammi Kapoor Death Anniversary: When Shammi Kapoor Filled Geeta Bali’s Hair Parting with Lipstick Instead of Sindoor

By Shantiswarup Tripathi

Bollywood filmmakers have always been drawn to love stories, and every year, many romantic films are produced. However, the love story between actress Geeta Bali and actor Shammi Kapoor in the 1950s was unique and fascinating in many ways. Their personal romance was (Shammi Kapoor biography and legacy) filled with passion, rejection, and ease, just like a Bollywood film—but this love story was never portrayed on the silver screen. What’s even more remarkable is that Geeta Bali continued acting in films, defying the traditional rules of the Kapoor family. The Kapoor family had a strict rule that the women of the family (Shammi Kapoor filmography list) should not pursue a career in films. Although, in the 90s, Karisma Kapoor and later Kareena Kapoor broke this tradition, Geeta Bali was the first to marry into the Kapoor family and continue working in films.

Geeta Bali and Shammi Kapoor married on August 24, 1955, in a love marriage that was not approved by Shammi’s family. On the day of their wedding, the entire Kapoor family was away in Bhopal for a performance at Prithvi Theatre. Geeta Bali was also a year older than Shammi Kapoor, and by that time, she was already an established and renowned actress, (Shammi Kapoor top songs collection) having worked with stars like Bharat Bhushan, Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, and Dev Anand. Meanwhile, Shammi Kapoor was still struggling in his career. Even after marriage, Geeta Bali continued to act in films, and her personality was such that she eventually won the acceptance of the Kapoor family. Indeed, Geeta Bali was the only woman from the Kapoor family to continue acting (Shammi Kapoor iconic dance performances) in films after marriage. During her two-decade-long career, she acted in more than 75 films. Geeta Bali was the first Kapoor woman to defy the family’s tradition and continue her film career after marriage.

Convincing Geeta Bali to marry him was not easy for Shammi Kapoor. The two first acted together in the romantic film Miss Coca Cola, directed by Hari Walia. During the making of this film, (Shammi Kapoor Bollywood career highlights) their mutual affection for each other grew, though neither of them revealed their feelings at the time. It wasn’t until an interview in the 1990s that Shammi Kapoor confessed that he had fallen in love with Geeta Bali during the filming of Miss Coca Cola.

In the film Rangeen Raaten (1956), Geeta Bali took an unprecedented step. Initially, the film was to star Shammi Kapoor and Mala Sinha. The director, Kedar Sharma, needed a new heroine for the film, so Geeta Bali introduced Mala Sinha to the team. However, while shooting had begun, Geeta Bali insisted on being a part of the film. Kedar Sharma told her that there were no (Shammi Kapoor personal life details) significant roles left, except for a part of Mala Sinha's brother. Geeta Bali, (Shammi Kapoor family and relationships) however, asked to play the male character. She even wore fake mustaches and played the role of the heroine’s brother. This was a rare and unique instance in the history of Bollywood. 

While filming in Nainital’s Ranikhet, Geeta Bali and Shammi Kapoor’s love for each other blossomed, despite the challenges surrounding their relationship. Marrying Geeta Bali was not an easy decision for Shammi Kapoor, as his family disapproved of her due to the fact that she had worked with his father, Prithviraj Kapoor, and his older brother, Raj Kapoor, as an actress. Moreover, Geeta Bali was not willing to leave her film career behind after marriage. (Shammi Kapoor death and tributes)

In a revealing interview, Shammi Kapoor shared the struggles of their romance: “I fell in love with Geeta, and she fell in love with me during the shooting of Rangeen Raaten in Ranikhet. After we returned to Bombay, I proposed to her. This was in April 1955, but Geeta turned me down, saying, ‘I have too many responsibilities, and I can’t marry right now. But I love you.’” Despite repeated proposals from Shammi Kapoor over the following months, Geeta continued to delay the decision. It wasn’t until the evening of August 23, 1955, when Shammi was staying at a hotel in Juhu while his family was in Bhopal, that Geeta finally agreed to marry him.

With the help of their close friend, comedian Johnny Walker, they sought advice and decided to marry in a temple. The couple went to the Ban Ganga Temple near Walkeshwar, but when they arrived at midnight, the priest asked them to come back in the morning. Geeta wore a salwar-kameez, and Shammi wore a kurta-pajama. At around 4 a.m., the priest performed their wedding ceremony, and when it was time for Shammi to fill Geeta’s hair parting with sindoor (vermilion), they realized they had forgotten to bring it. Geeta then pulled out her lipstick and asked Shammi to use it instead of sindoor. With lipstick in place of sindoor, Shammi Kapoor filled Geeta Bali's hair parting and made her his wife.

Their married life was peaceful, and they had two children—Aditya Raj Kapoor (born July 1, 1956) and Kanchan (born 1961). Geeta Bali also ventured into film production, while continuing her acting career and singing.

Sadly, fate had other plans for Geeta Bali. At just 34 years old, on January 21, 1965, she died from smallpox while shooting for the film Rano in a village in Punjab. It was a cruel twist of fate, as Geeta was terrified of smallpox, having witnessed her father lose his sight due to the disease. The director of Rano, deeply disturbed by her death, is said to have burned the script of the film on her funeral pyre. Rano was based on Rajinder Singh Bedi’s novel Ek Chadar Maili Si, and the film was left incomplete. Two years later, director Sukhwant Dhadda made the film Ek Chadar Maili Si, starring Hema Malini and Rishi Kapoor, based on the same novel.

Though Geeta Bali’s life was tragically short, her legacy remains in the hearts of fans and the film industry. She was a celebrated actress, singer, dancer, and producer who left an indelible mark on Bollywood. Sadly, 60 years after her death, very few people remember her poignant and untimely story.

People also ask about ...

1. Who were Geeta Bali and Shammi Kapoor?

Geeta Bali was a celebrated Bollywood actress, and Shammi Kapoor was a rising star in the 1950s. They shared a passionate love story and married in 1955, defying family traditions and societal expectations.

2. When did Geeta Bali and Shammi Kapoor get married?

They married on August 24, 1955, in a love marriage performed at the Ban Ganga Temple in Juhu, Mumbai.

3. Why was their marriage controversial?

The Kapoor family initially disapproved because Geeta Bali was an established actress and had worked with Shammi’s father and elder brother, and women in the Kapoor family were traditionally not allowed to act after marriage.

4. Did Geeta Bali continue acting after marriage?

Yes, she defied Kapoor family tradition and continued acting in films, becoming the first Kapoor woman to pursue a career after marriage.

5. How did Shammi Kapoor propose to Geeta Bali?

Shammi proposed multiple times after they fell in love during filming. Geeta initially declined due to responsibilities but agreed to marry him in August 1955 with advice from comedian Johnny Walker.

6. What was unique about their wedding ceremony?

Their wedding was held at 4 a.m., with Geeta wearing a salwar-kameez and Shammi in a kurta-pajama. They used lipstick instead of sindoor, as it was forgotten at the temple.

7. How many children did Geeta Bali and Shammi Kapoor have?

They had two children: Aditya Raj Kapoor (born 1956) and Kanchan Kapoor (born 1961).

8. What unusual role did Geeta Bali play in Rangeen Raaten?

She played a male character, the heroine’s brother, wearing a fake mustache—a rare and unprecedented move in Bollywood at that time.

9. How and when did Geeta Bali die?

She died at age 34 on January 21, 1965, from smallpox while shooting the film Rano in Punjab, leaving behind an incomplete project.

10. What is Geeta Bali’s legacy in Bollywood?

Despite her short life, she left a lasting impact as an actress, singer, dancer, and producer, remembered for her talent, courage, and breaking traditional norms in the Kapoor family.

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