Jeetendra Kapoor turns 79: Ekta Kapoor writes emotional note for the Bollywood movie icon

Celebrating the occasion of her father and legendary actor Jeetendra Kapoor’s 79th birthday, Bollywood filmmaker and producer Ekta Kapoor on Wednesday penned a heartfelt note for him.

The 45-year-old took to Instagram and shared a video featuring some throwback pictures and videos. Ekta wrote, “Happie bday papa! U r d wind beneath My wings!!! U helped me grow n supported me when I chose to b a producer! Love is acceptance u taught me that! Love u.”

The video included some unseen photographs of the veteran actor spending time with his wife Shobha Kapoor and his grandsons — Ravie and Laksshya Kapoor. Ravie is the son of Ekta, while Laksshya is the son of Tusshar Kapoor. Both children were born through surrogacy.

Proclaimed as the ‘Jumping Jack’ of Bollywood, Jeetendra is known as one of the most successful stars of Indian cinema. Jeetendra was born as Ravi Kapoor in Amritsar, Punjab, to Amarnath and Krishna Kapoor, whose business dealt with imitation jewellery, supplied to the film industry.

He attended St Sebastian’s Goan High School in Girgaum, Mumbai with his friend and late actor Rajesh Khanna, and then studied at Siddharth College in Mumbai. While supplying jewellery to late Indian filmmaker V Shantaram, he was selected to feature Sandhya’s character’s double in the 1959 movie ‘Navrang’.

The ‘Caravan’ actor got the first major break of his film career with V Shantaram’s ‘Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti’ in 1967. However, it was the 1967 film ‘Farz’ that served as his stepping stone to success.

The T-shirt and white shoes he picked up from a retail store for the ‘Mast Baharon Ka Main Aashiq’ dance number in ‘Farz’, became his trademark. ‘Farz’ was followed by films such as ‘Caravan’ and ‘Humjoli’, in which Jeetendra had more dance numbers. Whether it is his sporty dancing in ‘Dhal Gaya Din’, the hook dance steps in ‘Naino Mein Sapna’ and the exercise style dancing in ‘Taki Taki,’ the Jumping Jack of Bollywood nailed it all.

After 50 years in the movie industry, the senior star is currently embracing his grand-fatherhood in Mumbai with Ravie and Laksshya. The senior actor also serves as the chairman of the Balaji Telefilms, Balaji Motion Pictures and ALT Entertainment.