When Shashi Kapoor recalled wife Jennifer lent Ismail Merchant money for his fee

When Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendal had to sell their car and other things during a financial crisis

MUMBAI (Online) - Late actor Shashi Kapoor had once spoken about how producer, director, and screenwriter Ismail Merchant had borrowed money from his wife, late actor Jennifer Kendall to pay him for his movie. In an old interview, Shashi had said that while shooting The Householder, he put his foot down as Ismail didn’t pay him and he demanded the money. After getting paid, Shashi had shown it to Jennifer who replied with ‘very good’. Shashi had also said that she was ‘very soft with’ Ismail.

When Shashi Kapoor, wife Jennifer Kendal had to sell their car and other things during a financial crisis)

Shashi featured in the Ismail Merchant directorial The Householder (1963) alongside Leela Naidu and Durga Khote among others. He had a long association with the filmmaker appearing in a number he was also a part of In Custody (1993) by Ismail, alongside Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, and Neena Gupta. The actor starred in Ismail’s Shakespeare Wallah (1965) along with Felicity Kendal, Jennifer’s sister.

In an interview with Rediff.com in 2005, Shashi had said, "I remember once, we had completed half of The Householder, but Ismail Merchant hadn’t paid me a penny. The film was being shot at one go in Delhi. I used to come and go to Bombay (now Mumbai), as I was working in other films, too. I put my foot down, and told him, ‘If you don’t pay me now, I will not come from Bombay for the next shooting day.’ He promised to pay. I knew he didn’t have the money. But he paid me. And I said, ‘Arre!’ I started working. I was happy, but later realised he had borrowed the money from my wife. Jennifer (Jennifer Kendall) had always been very soft with him. Most times, she used to buy lunch for the entire unit.