Anil Kapoor

Biography

Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1959 in Bombay, now Mumbai) is an Indian actor, singer and producer best known for his work in Bollywood, the Hindi-language film industry of India. Spanning more than four decades, his career made him a star in the 1980s and 1990s and later took him into international productions and Indian television. Alongside his acting, he is also known for his charitable work.

He comes from a family deeply rooted in the film business. His father, Surinder Kapoor, was a film producer, and his brothers Boney Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor also worked in the industry. Anil made his debut in 1979 in a small part in Umesh Mehra's Hamare Tumhare, and in 1980 he led the Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham. After a run of Hindi supporting roles, his breakthrough came with Woh Saat Din (1983) and, above all, with Yash Chopra's Mashaal (1984), which earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. His portrayal of a street-smart tapori, with a stubbly look, was unconventional for the time.

Throughout the 1980s he followed with hits such as Meri Jung (1985), Karma (1986) and Shekhar Kapur's Mr. India (1987), and in 1988 he won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Tezaab. His performance as an autistic man in Eeshwar (1989) showed a quieter side of his range. In the 1990s he alternated box-office setbacks with films admired by critics, such as Awaargi, and played a middle-aged man in Yash Chopra's Lamhe (1991) opposite Sridevi, the first film in which he appeared without a moustache. He also stood out in Beta (1992) and in Taal (1999), where his portrait of an ambitious and unscrupulous singer drew strong reviews.

In the 2000s he moved toward supporting and character parts, in ensemble comedies such as No Entry (2005) and Welcome (2007). His international breakthrough came with Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), in which he played Prem Kumar. He then joined the eighth season of the series 24 and had a brief role in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011). On Indian television he starred in local versions of 24 (2013-2016) and The Night Manager (2023). He is widely cited as having appeared in more than one hundred films and as having received two National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards. He remains active in film and television, and his career is often seen as a bridge between classic Bollywood and global productions.

Key films

• Mashaal (1984): the tapori role that earned him his first Filmfare Award as a supporting actor.
• Lamhe (1991): a middle-aged man in Yash Chopra's musical drama opposite Sridevi.
• Mr. India (1987): the lead in one of the decade's biggest hits, which made him a star.
• Taal (1999): an ambitious, unscrupulous singer, one of his most celebrated portraits.
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): his first major international production, as Prem Kumar, directed by Danny Boyle.
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011): a brief role in the Tom Cruise action franchise.