The golden era of Bollywood was not just about on-screen romance but also about intense, real-life heartbreaks that remained hidden from the public eye for decades. One such poignant tale involves the legendary actor Shammi Kapoor and socialite-fashion designer Bina Ramani. In a recent revelation, Bina Ramani has shared intimate details of their complicated relationship, Shammi's profound devastation upon her sudden marriage to another man, and how he eventually married Neila Devi at the very temple where he had promised to wed Bina.
A Match Thwarted by Family and Fate
Following the tragic death of his first wife, actress Geeta Bali, in 1965, a lonely Shammi Kapoor found himself being subtly set up with Bina Ramani by Krishna Kapoor, Raj Kapoor's wife. Bina, who was Raj Kapoor's rakhi sister, was a regular at the Kapoor household. Despite Krishna Kapoor's keen matchmaking efforts, Raj Kapoor himself was firmly against the idea. Bina, in a candid interview with ANI, recalled her first meeting with Shammi at a Christmas Eve dinner at Raj Kapoor's house in the late 1960s.
"I never allowed myself to fall in love with him," Bina stated, explaining her initial resistance. She was wary of his status as a widower with two young children, his reputation as a movie star with a fondness for alcohol and smoking, and the potential disapproval of her own conservative, wealthy Sindhi family. She deliberately ignored his silent, intense attempts to communicate his feelings through his eyes during that first encounter.
From Resistance to a Promise of Elopement
Despite her guarded stance, Shammi Kapoor pursued Bina relentlessly. He repeatedly expressed his love, even doing so in different languages. Over time, Bina's resistance melted. "I never fell in love with him," she said, before adding a crucial distinction, "But I began to love him, and I still do. It's a special kind of love. Mine was enduring love." Their relationship deepened to the point where they made secret plans to elope and get married on January 2.
However, fate intervened. While Shammi was away on a seven-day trip, Bina's parents, alarmed by the prospect of their daughter marrying a film star with a "terrible reputation," introduced her to Andy Ramani, a man seven years her senior. Under immense parental pressure, with the threat of being taken back to London, Bina reluctantly agreed to an engagement with Andy, having "no intention of marrying him."
Devastation, a Temple Wedding, and Enduring Cordiality
The situation escalated when Andy Ramani's mother pressured Bina's parents to conduct the wedding before New Year's Eve. Consequently, Bina married Andy Ramani on December 31, while Shammi was still unaware. The news reached Shammi through a newspaper. "I heard he yelled when he read the news," Bina recounted, painting a picture of his raw anguish.
Heartbroken and perhaps in a reactive move, Shammi Kapoor eventually married Neila Devi. In a twist of bitter irony, he chose the same temple where he had once promised to marry Bina Ramani for his wedding to Neila. Bina mentioned this happened after he heard she was returning to India. Despite the pain and the abrupt end to their romance, bitterness did not define their future interactions. Shammi maintained a cordial relationship with Bina and even her second husband, George, often inviting them over.
These detailed accounts were later documented in Bina Ramani's 2013 memoir, Bird in a Banyan Tree: My Story, released two years after Shammi Kapoor passed away in 2011 at the age of 79. The story remains a captivating chapter of Bollywood history, highlighting the clash between personal desire and familial duty, and the enduring, complex nature of a love that was never meant to be.
