Overview
Anil Kapoor is an Indian actor, producer and television personality who has worked predominantly in Hindi cinema since the early 1980s. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has appeared in a wide range of commercial and critically acclaimed films, and has also worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinema, as well as in international productions in Hollywood and on American television.
Key facts
| Full name | Anil Kapoor |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 December 1956, Chembur, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | Actor, film producer |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse | Sunita Kapoor (m. 1984) |
| Children | Sonam Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor |
| Family | Son of producer Surinder Kapoor; brothers Boney Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor |
| Production company | Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network |
Background
Anil Kapoor was born into a film family on 24 December 1956. His father, Surinder Kapoor, was a film producer who had migrated from Peshawar after Partition. His elder brother Boney Kapoor is a producer, and his younger brother Sanjay Kapoor is also an actor. Anil Kapoor studied at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School, Chembur, and later at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, before training at Roshan Taneja's acting school.
Career
Early work (1979–1983)
Kapoor made his screen debut with a small role in the Shashi Kapoor production Hamare Tumhare (1979). He had his first lead role in the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983), directed by Mani Ratnam in his directorial debut, and also appeared in the Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham. His Hindi-language lead debut came with Woh Saat Din (1983), directed by Bapu and produced by his brother Boney Kapoor.
Stardom in the 1980s
Kapoor rose to wider recognition with Meri Jung (1985), directed by Subhash Ghai, and Karma (1986). He won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Mashaal (1984) opposite Dilip Kumar. The Yash Chopra–directed Mashaal and the Shekhar Kapur–directed Mr. India (1987), in which he played the title role opposite Sridevi, established him as a leading star. Tezaab (1988), directed by N. Chandra, won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and was one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
1990s
During the 1990s, Kapoor starred in films such as Ram Lakhan (1989), Beta (1992) — for which he won his second Filmfare Best Actor award — Lamhe (1991), 1942: A Love Story (1994), Judaai (1997), Virasat (1997), Taal (1999) and Biwi No.1 (1999). He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Pukar (2000), directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
2000s and producer career
Kapoor founded Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), under which he produced Badhaai Ho Badhaai (2002), Gandhi, My Father (2007) and the Hindi remake No Problem (2010), among others. As an actor he featured in Nayak (2001), Armaan (2003), Welcome (2007) and Race (2008).
International work
Kapoor played the game-show host Prem Kumar in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture with the film's ensemble. He subsequently appeared in the eighth season of the American television series 24 (2010) as President Omar Hassan, and in the Tom Cruise film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011). He also produced and starred in 24 (2013–2016), the Indian adaptation of the American series, on Colors TV.
Recent work
Later films include Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Mubarakan (2017), Fanney Khan (2018), Total Dhamaal (2019), Malang (2020), AK vs AK (2020), Jug Jugg Jeeyo (2022) and Animal (2023). He hosted the reality television show Bigg Boss OTT 3 in 2024.
Awards and honours
- National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor — Pukar (2000)
- Filmfare Award for Best Actor — Tezaab (1989) and Beta (1993)
- Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor — Mashaal (1985) and Virasat (1998)
- Screen Actors Guild Award (Outstanding Cast – Motion Picture) — Slumdog Millionaire (2009)
Personal life
Anil Kapoor married Sunita Bhambhani in 1984. The couple have three children: Sonam Kapoor, an actress; Rhea Kapoor, a film producer; and Harshvardhan Kapoor, an actor. Through his daughter Sonam's marriage to businessman Anand Ahuja, he is connected to the Ahuja family. His nieces Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor, daughters of his brother Boney Kapoor and the late actress Sridevi, and his nephew Arjun Kapoor are also active in Hindi cinema.
Significance
Anil Kapoor is regarded as one of the most enduring leading men of Hindi cinema, having transitioned successfully from a 1980s and 1990s romantic and action lead to character and ensemble roles in the 2000s and beyond. He is among the relatively small number of Indian actors to have established a sustained presence in Hollywood feature films and American prime-time television. Through AKFCN, he has also contributed as a producer to both films and television.