‘Realised dadaji was a star when I saw Amitabh Bachchan sitting with him at home’: Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan recalls being ‘shocked’

As a child, Zahan only understood his grandfather’s stardom when he unexpectedly saw Amitabh Bachchan at their home. “One day, I remember coming home and seeing Amitabh Bachchan sitting and talking to dadaji. It was during the 90s. I was in shock. But he just asked me to do namaste and go. We were never forced to watch his old films. The conversations were very contemporary and never about the past,” he recalled.

Like Shashi Kapoor, Zahan has also stayed away from the Kapoor family’s public appearances and the limelight. Sharing why many fans didn’t even know he was a part of the Kapoor family, he said, “I wasn’t part of the ‘show-sha’ of it all, and I’m happy because it has helped me learn a lot about our country and the world in an organic way.” The actor admitted that he enjoys traveling by buses, trains, and flights without being recognised. “Fame can be a burden too, but of course, it comes with a new responsibility,” he said. He added, “My dadaji made a conscious choice to separate himself from the spotlight. He valued his privacy. As a nuclear family, we also value our privacy.”

Zahan is the son of Shashi Kapoor’s son Kunal Kapoor and legendary filmmaker Ramesh Sippy’s daughter Sheena Sippy. Talking about his maternal family and how his grandfather, Ramesh Sippy, always had a workman’s approach, Zahan explained, “My parents, and the world they grew up in, saw the other side of life—simple, down-to-earth, with a workman’s approach. It was a ‘kaam se kaam milta hai’ (work leads to more work) kind of attitude, not just hawa baazi (empty talk). I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Staying away from the limelight has also helped Zahan avoid comparisons and focus on his craft. “Yes, comparisons are inevitable, but it’s a tricky thing. When someone compares me to my dadaji, I used to feel worried because I didn’t want to be a victim of comparison, living in his shadow, or dealing with that expectation. But now, I’m trying to change my perspective. When somebody compares me to dadaji, I think of it as them being reminded of the feeling he left them with. That feeling is rekindled. It’s nostalgic, and I am in service of that,” he shared.