As Bollywood celebrate’s Randhir Kapoor’s 75th birthday, the actor’s legacy and his lineage in the film fraternity cannot be denied. The Kapoor family has roots in the film industry going back generations, starting from Randhir’s grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor. With the Kapoor clan back in the news, here’s a look at all the actors in the family who have defined the Hindi film industry over the decades.
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Prithviraj Kapoor: The first Kapoor to enter the film industry, Prithviraj was a pioneer in the growth of Hindi cinema and Indian theatre. Laying the foundation of the Prithvi Theatre in 1944 and starting his career in Bollywood during the silent era, Prithviraj had also starred in the industry's first film that had an audio, 'Alam Ara', in 1931. His notable roles include that of Alexander the Great in ‘Sikandar’ (1941).
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The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1969 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1971 for his contributions towards Indian cinema. At the age of 17, he married 14-year-old Ramsarni Mehra and had three children, Raj, Shamsher Raj (Shammi) and Balbir Raj (Shashi) Kapoor. For the uninitiated, Prithviraj’s father, Basheshwar Nath Kapoor, also played a role in his movie ‘Awara’.
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Raj Kapoor: Often referred to as the ‘showman of Indian cinema’ Raj Kapoor defined the Bollywood industry in the 1950s and 1960s. Travel to Russia even today and songs of Raj Kapoor films are played on the radio! Also called the 'Clarke Gable of India', Raj started his career as a child actor in ‘Inquilab’ (1935). His big break as the lead was opposite Madhubala in 1947’s ‘Neel Kamal’. By the following year, he had launched RK Films, and went on to deliver hits such as ‘Andaz’ and ‘Barsaat’.
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He also directed films even while at the peak of his career, making movies such as ‘Aag’, ‘Awaara’ (1951), ‘Shree 420’ (1955) and more. Raj married Krishna Malhotra in 1930 and had five children, including Randhir, Ritu, Rishi, Reema and Rajiv. Raj died in 1988 at the age of 63.
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Shammi Kapoor: While Raj was known for his intense, passionate roles, his brother Shammi earned a reputation for fun and flamboyance on screen. Between the 1950s and the 1970s, Shammi ruled Bollywood as the proverbial lover boy, after a few misses early on in his career. Shammi made his debut in 1953 with ‘Jeewan Jyoti’, followed by a few duds.
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It was with the Nasir Hussain-directed film ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’ (1957), followed by ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ (1959) that Shammi became a force to reckon with. His notable films include ‘Junglee’, ‘Boy Friend’, ‘Dil Tera Diwana’, Kashmir Ki Kali’, ‘Teesri Manzil’ and ‘Brahmachari’. Shammi was first married to actress Geeta Bali, who died of smallpox in 1965. He later married Neila Devi in 1969. He had two children, Aditya Raj Kapoor and Kanchan Ketan Desai. Shammi died on August 7, 2011, following a kidney failure.
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Shashi Kapoor: Like most in the family, Shashi Kapoor also started his Bollywood journey as a child actor in his brother Raj Kapoor’s directorial debut ‘Aag’ (1948). His first role as a lead star came in 1961 with ‘Dharmputra’. He had his share of success with movies such as ‘Haseena Maan Jayegi’ (1968), ‘Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati’ (1969), ‘Kabhi Kabhie’ (1976) and ‘Baseraa’ (1981).
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As one of the first crossover actors in Indian cinema, Shashi starred in several Merchant Ivory films, including ‘The Householder’ (1963), ‘Shakespeare Wallah’ (1965) and ‘Bombay Talkie’ (1970). Like his brother Raj, he set up his production house in 1978 called Film Valas, producing critically acclaimed films such as Junoon (1978), Kalyug (1981), 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981) and more. Kapoor was married to English actress Jennifer Kendal from 1958, until her death in 1984. He was never the same after losing her and had three children: Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor and Sanjana Kapoor. He died at the age of 79 due to liver cirrhosis on December 4, 2017.
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Randhir Kapoor: As the eldest son of Raj Kapoor, Randhir tasted moderate success in Bollywood despite starting out as a child star. Randhir became a lead star and a director in ‘Kal Aaj Aur Kal’ (1971), which featured three generations of the Kapoor family.
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His notable films include ‘Jawani Diwani’ (1972), ‘Ponga Pandit’ (1975), ‘Raampur Ka Lakshman’ (1972), among others. By the late 1980s, he had moved away from acting and focused on film production, returning to films in the late 1990s and 2000s in comedies. He is married to film actress Babita and has two children, Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
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Rishi Kapoor: As the most successful of Raj Kapoor’s children, Rishi made his debut as a child artist in his father Raj Kapoor’s 1970 film ‘Mera Naam Joker’, for which he also received an Indian National Award. However, his first role as a lead actor was opposite Dimple Kapadia in 1973, when the duo starred in ‘Bobby’. Rishi bagged the Filmfare Best Actor award for his role in the film.
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Over the years, Rishi went on to become one of the leading names in Bollywood, with notable films such as ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Karz’, ‘Yeh Vaada Raha’, ‘Saagar’, ‘Aap Ke Deewane’ and ‘Khel Khel Mein’. The last-mentioned film also starred Neetu Singh, who would soon become his girlfriend and later, his wife. In 2017, the actor released his biography, 'Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored'. Rishi was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018 and went to New York City for treatment. After a treatment that lasted more than a year, the actor returned to India and returned to acting. He died on April 30, 2020, in Mumbai.
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Rajiv Kapoor: Following in the family tradition, Rajiv dabbled in Bollywood starting with his 1983 debut film ‘Ek Jaan Hain Hum’. His most notable film included ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ in 1985, along with moderate success in ‘Lover Boy’ (1985) and ‘Hum To Chale Pardes’ (1988). He made his last film appearance in ‘Zimmedaar’ in 1990, following which he focused on producing and film direction. His debut as a director was in ‘Prem Granth’ with Rishi and Madhuri Dixit in the lead. In 2001, he married architect Aarti Sabharwal.
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Ritu Nanda and Rima Jain: Ritu Nanda didn’t follow the Bollywood route and focused on business as the chairwoman and chief executive officer of Ritu Nanda Insurance Services. Nanda was married to Rajan Nanda, an industrialist of India, with two children: Son Nikhil Nanda (who is married to Shweta Bachchan, Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan’s daughter), and daughter Nitasha Nanda. She was battling cancer and died on January 14, 2020.
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Rima Jain, the second daughter of Raj Kapoor, is married to Manoj Jain. She has two sons, Armaan Jain, who debuted as actor in ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’, and Aadar Jain, who made his debut with the 2017 Hindi film ‘Qaidi Band’. Armaan married Anissa Malhotra, while Aadar is dating actress Tara Sutaria.
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Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor and Sanjana Kapoor: Shashi Kapoor’s three children have forged their own paths after brief stints in Bollywood. As the oldest, Karan tried Bollywood with Shyam Benegal’s 1978 film ‘Junoon’. He also appeared in the British television series ‘The Jewel in the Crown’ in 1984. After a few more attempts in Bollywood, he moved to London and became a photographer, living with his wife Lorna and children, Aliya and Zach.
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Kunal Kapoor also attempted films with the 1972 English-language film ‘Siddhartha’, along with mainstream Bollywood films ‘Ahista’ and ‘Vijeta’. He quit films shortly after and turned to directing commercials. He married filmmaker Ramesh Sippy’s daughter Sheena and had two children, a son named Zahan Prithviraj Kapoor and a daughter named Shaira Kapoor.
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Sanjana Kapoor took to Bollywood in 1981 with ‘36 Chowringhee Lane’. Her first role in mainstream Bollywood was opposite Naseerudin Shah in ‘Hero Hiralal’ (1989), which was successful at the box office. She appeared in Mira Nair’s ‘Salaam Bombay’ but quit acting to take care of Prithvi Theatre, which she quit in 2011 and launched Junoon Theatre in 2012. Sanjana has been married twice: First to actor and director Aditya Bhattacharya, then tiger conservationist, Valmik Thapar. She has a son, Hamir Thapar.
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Karisma Kapoor: One of the most popular stars of her generation, Karisma Kapoor was launched into Bollywood in 1991 with ‘Prem Qaidi’. After a string of flops and ridiculed for her looks, Karisma stuck her ground and tasted success in 1993 with ‘Anari’ and 'Raja Babu' the following year. Some of her biggest hits include ‘Coolie No. 1’ (1995), ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’ (1996) and ‘Jeet’ (1996).
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She reinvented herself in 1996 for ‘Raja Hindustani’ and entered a new phase in her career. The film earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress, which she followed up the following year with an Indian National Award for ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. Her most critically-acclaimed films followed with ‘Fiza’ (2000) and ‘Zubeidaa’ (2001). Karisma took a break from acting in 2004 and married Sanjay Kapoor, after a brief engagement with Abhishek Bachchan. She returned to films in 2012 with ‘Dangerous Ishqq’ and tried her hand at a web series with ‘Mentalhood’ (2020). She and Sanjay are now divorced and she is mother to Samiera Kapoor and Kiaan Raj Kapoor.
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Kareena Kapoor Khan: Despite being dropped from her original debut film, ‘Kaho Na… Pyaar Hai’, Kareena Kapoor Khan burst on to the scene in the 2000 war film ‘Refugee’, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. She followed it up with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Asoka’ and her iconic character of Poo from ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’. While mainstream roles came her way, Kareena broke away from the stereotype and appeared as a sex worker in the 2004 film, ‘Chameli’ to thunderous success.
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Over the years, her notable films include ‘Omkara’ (2006), ‘Jab We Met’ (2007), ‘Heroine’ (2012), and ‘Udta Punjab’ (2016). After a romance with Shahid Kapoor, Kareena married Saif Ali Khan on October 16, 2012. She continued with her successful career post-marriage as well and has two sons, Taimur and Jeh.
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Ranbir Kapoor: The son of actors Rishi and Neetu Kapoor started his Bollywood career as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the 2005 film ‘Black’. Two years later, Bhansali launched him and Sonam Kapoor in ‘Saawariya’, which failed at the box office. Kapoor tasted success two years later with movies such as ‘Wake Up Sid!’ and ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’. He followed them up with the political drama ‘Raajneeti’ (2010).
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Ranbir really came into his own with ‘Rockstar’ the following year, along with ‘Barfi!’. Even as his high-profile romance with actors Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif grabbed headlines, Ranbir used his charm to win over fans with movies such as ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ (2013) and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ (2016). In 2018, he tasted the pinnacle of success playing Sanjay Dutt in the Rajkumar Hirani-directed biopic ‘Sanju’. He is currently dating actress Alia Bhatt and is rumoured to get married this year..
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