It seems like a miracle. I had heard all kinds of stories of you being bed-ridden after all your problems and your regular visits to the hospital. And here you are driving in like a maniac, if I may say so, like the Prince you were at one time. You make my belief in God stronger, you make me believe in miracles.

Yes, I too am very grateful to God for keeping me alive after all that I have gone through during the last one year. There were times when I felt I had gone, finished, Shammi Kapoor, rest in peace, but thanks be to God, the constant care of my wife, Neela Devi, the doctors and nurses at Breach Candy Hospital and the prayers and good wishes of people who love me, I am here and very much alive. I wish I could say alive and kicking too but I can't because my legs have stopped being my friends.

Do you feel helpless? You have been an epitome of good health, a dynamic man full of the kind of life many men can only dream of.

I am not Superman. I do feel helpless at times but I have learnt to fight all my battles with my mind, with my will power and it helps. I am grateful for whatever life is left in me. I hope to make the best of it till the end of my life. I am 77. I have lived the kind of life very few people are blessed to live. I have literally lived life like a prince. I should have no reason to complain. What I am living now is a bonus, extra time as they call it in cricket.

Do you ever look back and regret?

I have never believed in looking back. Whatever had to happen ahs happened. I cannot expect all that to happen again. And what ever happened has been great, so where is the reason to regret? There are times when I look back but that is only when I remember certain good experiences which bring a smile on my face or make me laugh at the foolish mistakes I made and the fool I made of myself.

Can you please for the generation today go back in time and tell me something about your earlier days?

It's a very long story, but let me try and cut it short. I started my career with Karder's 'Jeevan Jyoti' and I was a very big flop for many years till I decided to change and thank God the change came in as a blessing and even changed my life. With just a few big hits I became a big star after almost being pushed into some remote dark corner.

What do you think were the reasons that you were accepted as a star?

I think people wanted change. People naturally want change all the time. They had seen all that great actors for long and I think wanted to see someone very different. So when I came with what is called my rebel image and my own style of acting, they found something very different which they wanted. And with 'Junglee', I was by the grace of God a brand by myself. I was not known as a great actor, the critics never appreciated me, I never won any major awards, but I was accepted as a star, every man, woman and child desired to see doing all my gimmicks and playing all my games and giving them the time of their lives expressing the same human emotions in my own way.

Don't you think your image as a path-breaking dancer-actor was helped by great music Shankar-Jaikishan and sons sung by Mohammed Rafi who knew exactly suited your new image?

Off course, they did. They played a very crucial part in making my place which was very tough with all the competition from the giants around me. They created music that went with my image, songs that are immortal, not classic songs but songs that celebrated life. I will always be grateful to them. God bless their good souls.

You were also popular with your personal lifestyle.

I am not boasting and this is not an age to boast but I lived life no Prince anywhere could. I had the best clothes, the best cars. I had a beautiful wife in Geeta Bali. I had courted some of the most beautiful women in the country. I drank and smoked like the world was going to come to an end tomorrow. I did everything possible to unintentionally shock people. I really lived life king size.

They say you have played a very important part in the lives of some leading actresses.

I don't know how important a part I played in their lives. But I certainly encouraged young girls like Kalpana in 'Professor', Asha Parekh in 'Dil Deke Dekho', Sharmila Tagore in 'Kashmir Ki Kali', Saira Banu in 'Junglee'. I tried my best to inspire as many women as I could and the one woman who I can never forget and who I still respect is my dear Mumu, known to the world as Mumtaz. She was a great woman and she still is. I still respect Mumu as the woman with guts to tart as a junior artiste and en up surpassing me and many other like me, playing the heroine to my seniors like Dev Sahab and Dilip Kumar.

And Guru Dutt as ana actor and some other heroes?

Guru Dutt was signed to play the hero in 'Baaz' for the first time. Then the makers had second thoughts. They approached me, Guru asked me to help him out. I had a talk with the makers and they agreed to cast Guru as the hero of 'Baaz' and that is how his career as an actor started. Later when Guru Dutt was a big man I went to him to give me Waheeda Rehman to play m heroine in 'Dil Deke Dekho'. He didn't think twice and just said, 'Take her, take her' but I was unlucky. The Mukherjis who were making 'Dil Deke Dekho' had already signed a shy, slim, good-looking and great dancer called Asha Parekh. I don't know about other heroes but a lot of them came to me and said that they were what they were because of me. I don't wish to take any credit for anything like that.

How did your life suddenly changed?

I think my life style finally caught up with me. I put on a lot of weight and could no longer do the wild things I used to. The last major film I did as a hero was 'Andaz' with new comers like Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini and a new director called Ramesh Sippy who had come from abroad knowing very little about Hindi films. I directed a film called 'Manoranjan' based on the Hollywood hit 'Irma La Douce' but it was a disappointing experience. I went into the hills to find peace where I found a very young guru and turned completely spiritual. I couldn't believe the transformation in myself. I came back to films as a character artiste and had a good innings. The last film I did was one with Salman Khan as the hero.

What do you think of the heroes today?

They are all good, their only problem is they are doing too many films and burning themselves out before their time.

What do you think of the kind of films being made today?

Good, bad and indifferent like always but technically way ahead of the kind of films we made in our times. I watch films on my DVD regularly. The last film I saw was 'Jab We Met' and I must say it was one of the best films I have seen in recent times. I have not seen 'Om Shanti Om' and 'Saawariya' yet.

What do you think of Ranbir Kapoor?

He better be good. He is a Kapoor and has the genes of the Kapoor family in him and is the son of an actor called Rishi Kapoor who I consider the best in the Kapoor clan.

Would you like to make some contribution to films today?

I am willing if Mr. Lekh Tandon agrees to take me on as his assistant in this serial 'Bikhri Aas Nikhri Preet' and films he is directing at his age. I would like to learn and start my career all over again even though I know it is humanly not possible. My love for films will however last till the last breath of my life.