Anil Kapoor (Hindi: अनिल कपूर; born December 24, 1959) is a prominent National Film Award-winning Indian actor and producer who appears in Bollywood films.
Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Kapoor started off his career with a supporting role in Umesh Mehra's Hamare Tumhare (1979) and played his first leading role in the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983). He won acclaim for his roles in Yash Chopra's drama Mashaal (1984) and Shekhar Kapur's sci-fi Mr. India (1987), and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in the former.
After a series of successful films, Kapoor earned his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in N. Chandra's Tezaab in 1988, and later for Indra Kumar's Beta in 1992. Since then, he has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Biwi No.1 (1999), Taal (1999), Pukar (2000), for which he won his first National Film Award in the Best Actor category, and No Entry (2005). Kapoor thus has established himself as one of the most successful and popular actors of Hindi cinema.
Kapoor made his Bollywood debut with Umesh Mehra's Hamare Tumhare (1979) in a supporting role. After a few minor roles in films such as Hum Paanch (1980) and Shakti (1982), he got his first leading role in the 1983 Hindi film, Woh Saat Din. Kapoor later tried acting in Tollywood and Kollywood, and appeared in the Telugu film Vamsa Vriksham and Mani Ratnam's Kannada debut film Pallavi Anu Pallavi.
Next, followed a critically acclaimed performance in Yash Chopra's drama Mashaal (1984), for which he won his first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actor category. Going on to deliver commercial success with films like Meri Jung (1985) and Karma (1986), Kapoor won acclaim for his role as Arun Varma/Mr. India in Shekhar Kapur's sci-fi Mr. India (1987). The film became one of his biggest box office hits and shot him to superstar status.
In 1988, he was rewarded with his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in the hit film, Tezaab. The following year he delivered more commercial success with Ram Lakhan and Parinda. The year 1990, saw him play a dual role, as twin brothers in the successful Kishen Kanhaiya. This was followed by a critically acclaimed performance as a middle aged man in Yash Chopra's romantic drama Lamhe. Although the film was a box office failure in India, it proved to be a success overseas.
In 1992, Kapoor received his second Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Indra Kumar's Beta opposite Madhuri Dixit. After a period of little box office success for the next few years, he had box office success with films like Judaai (1997), Deewana Mastana (1997), Biwi No.1 (1999), Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain (1999) and Taal (1999).
He won his first National Film Award in the Best Actor category for his role in Rajkumar Santoshi's critically acclaimed Pukar in 2000. Following films from 2001 to 2004 failed to do well but Kapoor won acclaim for his role in the thriller My Wife's Murder (2005), which he also produced. Anees Bazmee's super-hit comedy No Entry followed for Kapoor that year. The film became the highest grossing film of the year and Kapoor's comic-timing was applauded.
However, his films which released in 2006 and 2007 failed to do well. Kapoor's most recent film, Anees Bazmee's Welcome, which released on December 21, 2007, did very well at the box office. His latest release Abbas Mustan's thriller Race has opened to good reports. His forthcoming film is Vijay Krishna Acharya's Tashan, which marks his comeback to Yash Raj Films. The film was released on 25th April, and failed to do well at the box office.
In 2002, Kapoor produced his first film, the comedy Badhaai Ho Badhaai, in which he also starred in, but the film failed to do well. Next followed, the critically acclaimed thriller My Wife's Murder (2005), which also didn't do well at the box office. His next produced film, Gandhi, My Father, which focuses on the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi released on August 3, 2007. Despite being acclaimed by critics and audiences, the film failed to do well.
Kapoor is currently producing the film, Shortcut - The Con Is On.
Born on December 24, 1959 in Chembur, Maharashtra, India to film producer Surinder and Nirmal Kapoor, Kapoor attended Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School, Chembur . Coming from a film-oriented family, Kapoor's elder brother, Boney Kapoor, is a producer while younger brother Sanjay Kapoor is also a well known Bollywood actor though not as successful.
He is the brother-in-law of the actress Sridevi with whom he has starred in many films. His sister Reena is married to Sandeep Marwah of the Marwah Films & Video Studios in Noida Film City.
In 1984, he married Sunita Kapoor (née Bhambhani) and had two daughters and a son. Kapoor's daughter, Sonam Kapoor made her debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya (2007) opposite Rishi Kapoor's son, Ranbir Kapoor. As of 2008, his other daughter, Rhea, is studying in New York while his son Harsh is in school.
Kapoor's first role in an international film was as Prem Kumar in Danny Boyle's Academy Award-winning Slumdog Millionaire (2008), for which he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
