The late actor Shammi Kapoor had a special love for Dahi Puri, one of Mumbai’s popular street foods. Recently, Jatin Prithviraj Kapoor, Prithviraj Kapoor’s grandson, shared a nostalgic video on Instagram reflecting on his cherished moments of indulging in Pani Puri whenever his uncle, Shammi Kapoor, visited their flat in the Matunga area.
Fond Memories of Pani Puri
In the video, Jatin narrated, “Shri Prithviraj Kapoor Sahib’s lane in Matunga, where he used to live, had a Pani Puri wala. Let me tell you the story of Shammi Kapoor today. Shammi uncle, whenever he came to Matunga, we all had a great time. The Pani Puri vendor would come upstairs to our flat, carrying his puri container, setting up his entire cart outside our door and start selling his Pani Puri. One plate after another would come, and we didn’t even have to pay. The vendor’s plates usually had 5 or 6 puris, but Shammi uncle’s plate had about 20 puris. Everyone else had the same amount, and we would eat two plates each!”
A True Food Lover
Jatin continued to express Shammi Kapoor’s love for Pani Puri and Dahi Puri. He described his uncle as not just stylish but also grounded, cherishing simple pleasures like these delicacies.
“He used to put a lot of yogurt in his Dahi Puri. Their specialty was that we didn’t eat the same as he did, as our plates were prepared differently. There would be chutney, including tamarind chutney, along with moong and potato, topped with chura. One special touch was the red chili powder sprinkled on top, making Shammi uncle’s plates stand out in a vibrant red,” he reminisced.
Endless Enjoyment
Jatin fondly recalled that they would indulge so much in these treats that the mention of Pani Puri wouldn’t come up for a week or ten days. Once Shammi Kapoor left, they would go back to the Pani Puri vendor, asking, ‘Give us some Dahi Puri too.’ The vendor would ask, “Shall I make the Shammi Sahab plate?” to which they replied, “No, we only have two rupees, just make our plate with five puris.” Even if the plate got smaller over time, the love, taste, and enjoyment remained just as vibrant as ever.