Though B.R. Chopra was a big admirer of Shammi's unique talent and was persistent in his efforts to collaborate with him, they collabrated together for just one film.
Both of them started their respective careers in the early 50s but Shammi regained fame in the late 50s with, “Tumsa Nahi Dekha”.
Shammi gained a romantic image and was a part of “swinging 60s” while B.R. Chopra was working as a (producer/director) on films like Ek Hi Raasta, Naya Daur, Dhool Ka Phool, Dharamputra, Gumrah, Kanoon, Waqt, Humraaz, Ittefaq etc.
The film trajectories of the two were fundamentally different, representing two distinctive pillars of Indian cinema.
One being the exuberant, musical “rebel star” while the other a socially conscious “message filmmaker”. Still B.R. Chopra intended to cast the Kapoor family Prithviraj Kapoor along with (Raj, Shammi and Shashi) in Waqt but Bimal Roy advised not to do so.
According to him, the Kapoor brothers resembled each other too much, which would make it hard to believe they were separated brothers, ruining the plot's dramatic tension.
Later, Shammi transitioned to character roles due to physical changes and knee injury. This was the time when B.R. Chopra and Ravi Chopra collabrated with Shammi Kapoor for Zameer in which Shammi played a pivotal role. Interestingly, he was cast with Saira Banu (whom he had previously romanced in Junglee). He played the father of Saira Banu in the film. In fact, it was Shammi Kapoor’s first role as a character artist.
B.R. Chopra did not have a direct blood relation with the Kapoor family but his family was closely intertwined with them through the Punjabi film industry community in Mumbai. Still, at a professional level, Zameer was the only film where Shammi Kapoor and B.R. Chopra worked together.
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