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Anil Kapoor

Anil Kapoor has built his career on restless screen energy. Whether playing an impassioned hero, a comic operator, a compromised authority figure or a difficult father, he brings a sense that the character is always thinking—and usually moving—a little faster than everyone around him. Born on 24 December in Mumbai, Kapoor entered Hindi cinema in a small role in Hamare Tumhare (1979), then appeared as a lead in the Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham (1980). His first Hindi leading role came with Woh Saat Din (1983), while Mashaal (1984) brought wider recognition and a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Mr. India (1987) established him as a major star, and Tezaab (1988) earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The range was apparent early. Ram Lakhan gave him room for swagger, Eeshwar asked for sensitivity, and Parinda placed him inside a darker crime story. Through the 1990s, films including Lamhe, Beta, 1942: A Love Story, Virasat, Judaai, Deewana Mastana, Biwi No. 1 and Taal showed how comfortably he could shift between romance, comedy, family drama and more heightened character work. His performance in Pukar later won the National Film Award for Best Actor. As his career moved beyond conventional leading roles, Kapoor found fresh momentum rather than settling into the background. No Entry, Welcome and Race made strong use of his comic timing and authority. Slumdog Millionaire introduced him to a wider international audience, followed by television’s 24 and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. He also led the Indian adaptation of 24 as Jai Singh Rathod. More recent work has continued to test his range. In AK vs AK, he played a fictional version of himself; in Thar and Malang, he took on morally shaded police roles. Jugjugg Jeeyo brought him another Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, while Animal cast him as a powerful industrialist and strict father. Across languages, genres, film and television, Kapoor’s staying power comes from his willingness to keep recalibrating his familiar energy for a different kind of role.