The Kapoor family[14][15] is a prominent Indian show business family with at least 4 generations of the family over 95 years being active in the Hindi film industry.[16][14] Numerous members of the family, both biological and those who have married into the family, have had prolific careers as actors, film directors and producers.[16][14][17] "The Pioneer" founder of the dynasty was "The Patriarch", Prithviraj Kapoor,[16][18][17][19] who was the first member of family to begin acting in movies with his 1929 debut film Be Dhari Talwar.[20] He was a pioneer of Indian theatre and the founding member of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).[15][21] His son Raj Kapoor was the most influential actor and director in Hindi cinema.[14][15] The genesis generation or the earliest linear generation of the Kapoor family tree to ever act in the films was Prithviraj Kapoor's father, Basheshwarnath Kapoor, who debuted as actor in 1951 film Awaara, which was produced, directed and starred in lead role by his grandson Raj Kapoor.[18][17][22]
Prithviraj Kapoor was the first from the family to pursue a career in films. His ancestral origins were in Samundri, Lyallpur District, Punjab Province of British India.[1][2] His father, Basheshwarnath Kapoor, served as a police officer in the Imperial Police in the city of Peshawar;[23] while his grandfather, Keshavmal Kapoor, was a Tehsildar in Samundri.[24] His younger brother, Trilok Kapoor also became an actor; with his first role was in the film Char Darvesh in 1933, Trilok emerged as one of the most commercially successful actors of his era.
Raj Kapoor's sons, Randhir Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor, went on to become well-known actors; his youngest son, Rajiv Kapoor, was not as successful as his brothers. Shashi Kapoor's children were unsuccessful in acting because of their European looks. His daughter, Sanjana Kapoor, ran the Prithvi Theatre from 1993[28] to February 2012, his elder son, Kunal Kapoor, runs an ad company, and Shashi's youngest child, Karan Kapoor, currently runs a photography company in London. Shammi Kapoor's son, Aditya Raj Kapoor, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and retired businessman and his daughter Kanchan Kapoor is married to the son of Manmohan Desai.
Randhir Kapoor is married to Babita. They have two daughters Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, both of whom have found success in the film industry. Rishi Kapoor was married to actress Neetu Singh; their son, Ranbir Kapoor, has established himself as a leading Bollywood actor, and their daughter, Riddhima Kapoor Sahani, is a designer.
Prithviraj Kapoor's cousin was Surinder Kapoor[30] Surinder Kapoor left Peshawar and came to Mumbai with help from Prithviraj Kapoor.[31] who was married to Nirmal Kapoor. His oldest son is Boney Kapoor who was married to Mona Shourie and then to Sridevi and is the father of Arjun, Anshula, Janhvi, and Khushi Kapoor. His middle son is Anil Kapoor who is married to Sunita Kapoor and is the father of Sonam (married to Anand Ahuja), Rhea (married to Karan Boolani) and Harshvardhan Kapoor. His youngest son is Sanjay Kapoor who is married to Maheep Sandhu and is the father of Shanaya and Jahaan Kapoor. His daughter is Reena Kapoor Marwah who is married to Sandeep Marwah of Marwah Films and Video Studios and is the mother of Mohit (married to Antara Motiwala) and Akshay Marwah (married to Aashita Relan).
Noted actor Kamal Kapoor, who was famous for playing the role 'Narrang' in the 1978 blockbuster movie Don was the maternal first cousin of Prithviraj Kapoor (their mothers were sisters) and so were his brothers Nandkishore Kapoor and Ravindra Kapoor. Kamal Kapoor had five children including Kapil Kapoor and Madhu Behl who married Ramesh Behl. Madhu and Ramesh Behl's son is Goldie Behl, who is married to actress Sonali Bendre, thus the Behl family is related to the Kapoor family by marriage.
Raj's, Shashi's, and Shammi's maternal cousin, Juggal Kishore Mehra, was a singer, whose step-granddaughter was Salma Agha who became an actress and singer in Pakistan.
Members of the Kapoor family
First generation
Kapoor family remains the only family in India to have four generations of film artists (c. 2009).[19][14]
The first generation of the family was led by Prithviraj Kapoor.[14][16] In 1929, Prithviraj Kapoor made his acting debut as an extra in his first film, Be Dhari Talwar.[20][19]
Notable actors of this generation include:
Prithviraj Kapoor – first son of Basheshwarnath Kapoor and the first member of family to enter the Hindi film industry; married to Ramsarni Mehra
Trilok Kapoor – Second son of Basheshwarnath Kapoor who went on to become extremely popular in the role of lord Shiva in the 1950s.
Kailash Kapoor Kakkar – daughter of Basheshwarnath Kapoor
Kamal Kapoor, cousin of Prithviraj Kapoor – their mothers were sisters, played the role of Narang in 1978 movie Don. Ramesh Behl is his son-in-law & Ramesh's son Goldie Behl is grandson.
Ravindra Kapoor, brother of Kamal Kapoor, appeared in many Punjabi and Hindi movies including Jitendra's 1971 movie Caravan & Amir Khan's 1988 movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (character of Dharampal Singh). Kapil Kapoor is his nephew.
Second generation
The second generation of the Kapoor family was led by three main Kapoor actors, Raj, and his younger brothers Shammi and Shashi. Among Kapoors of all generations, Raj Kapoor has been the most distinguished and prolific contributor as an actor, producer, director and in terms of his impact in enhancing Bollywood's international reach, India's soft power and diplomacy across the USSR, the Middle East, Africa and Palestine.[14]
Notable actors of this generation include:
Raj Kapoor – eldest son of Prithviraj Kapoor; married to Krishna Malhotra
Shammi Kapoor – second son of Prithviraj Kapoor; married to Geeta Bali (first wife) and Neila Devi (second wife)
Urmila Kapoor Sial – daughter of Prithviraj Kapoor; married to Charanjit Sial
Vijay Kapoor – son of Trilok Kapoor
Vicky Kapoor – son of Trilok Kapoor
Third generation
Rishi Kapoor, son of Raj Kapoor, led this generation and his two actor brothers, Randhir and Rajeev, remained in the shadow of his success.[14] Rishi was best known as a romantic hero; his charm and charisma quickly made him one of Bollywood's leading men of the 1970s and 1980s. He later took on more supporting roles and character parts.[15]
Rana Jain – son of Armaan Jain and Anissa Malhotra Jain
Kapoor Family Memorial at Rajbaugh
The Samadhi (memorial) of Raj Kapoor, also housing memorial of his mother and father Prithviraj Kapoor, is at their family farm "Rajbaugh", which means the "king of gardens". Located inside the MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU), Rajbaugh lies off the NH65 on the banks of Mula-Mutha River in Loni Kalbhor village 30km east of Pune in Maharshtra. Kapoor family sold a part of the 125 acres Rajbaugh to MIT-WPU which built a memorial for the Kapoor family on its campus. The memorial was unveiled in 2014 in the presence of Lata Mangeshkar and members of the Kapoor clan. The Kapoor family memorial has 7 pagodas showing elements of Raj Kapoor's movies and a museum or viewing gallery which shows family photographs and moments from his movie making from 1945 to 1990. Raj Kapoor shot many of his films at this farm, including Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and Prem Rog. Kapoor's family bungalow inside the farm has been preserved. The popular song "Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho" was shot inside this bungalow.[32][33][34][14]
Shashi Kapoor was an Indian actor and film producer who is best known for his works in Hindi films. A recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards, he also featured in a number of English-language international films, particularly films produced by Merchant Ivory. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2011, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 2014, for his contribution to Indian cinema.
Raj Kapoor, also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor, was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of the greatest and most influential actors and filmmakers in the history of Indian cinema, and has been referred to as The Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema and as the Charlie Chaplin of Indian Cinema.
Shammi Kapoor (born Shamsher Raj Kapoor; was an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. Kapoor is considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, Kapoor worked in over 100 films. He is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards, including one for Best Actor.
Prithviraj Kapoor was an Indian actor who is also considered to be one of the founding figures of Hindi cinema. He was associated with IPTA as one of its founding members and established the Prithvi Theatres in 1944 as a travelling theatre company based in Bombay.
Rishi Raj Kapoor was an Indian actor, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films. He was the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards, in a career that spanned 50 years.
Babita Shivdasani Kapoor, also known simply as Babita, is an Indian retired actress who appeared in Hindi-language films. The daughter of actor Hari Shivdasani, she is the first cousin of her contemporary actress Sadhana Shivdasani. Her debut film was the successful drama Dus Lakh (1966), but it was the romantic thriller Raaz (1967), opposite Rajesh Khanna, that gained her recognition.
Karan Kapoor is an Indian photographer, actor and model. He is the son of actors Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal. His paternal grandfather was Prithviraj Kapoor and his paternal uncles were Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor. His elder brother Kunal Kapoor and younger sister Sanjana Kapoor have also acted in some films. His maternal grandparents, Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Kendal, were actors who toured India and Asia with their theatre group, Shakespearana, performing Shakespeare and Shaw. The Merchant Ivory film, Shakespeare Wallah, was loosely based on the family, which starred his father and his maternal aunt, actress Felicity Kendal.
Randhir Raj Kapoor is a retired Indian actor, film producer and director who worked in Hindi cinema. He was an established actor of the 1970s and received two Filmfare Award nominations and was one of the popular actors of the 1970s. However, his career declined in the early 1980s, following which he rarely appeared in films.
Kapoor or Kapur is a Punjabi surname of Khatri clan found in the Punjabi Hindu and Sikh communities.
Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes Hindi films.
Rajiv Raj Kapoor was an Indian actor, film producer, film director and a member of the Kapoor family, best known for his lead role in Ram Teri Ganga Maili. He was the youngest son of Raj Kapoor, a Bollywood actor-director-producer.
Nikhil Nanda is an Indian industrialist, serving as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Escorts Kubota Limited, an Indian multinational engineering conglomerate that specialises in Agricultural, Construction and Railways equipment and machinery. He is a third-generation entrepreneur, is the grandson of Raj Kapoor and Har Prasad Nanda, who founded the company in 1944, and son of Rajan Nanda, who served as the CMD of the group till August 2018.
R. K. Films was an Indian film production company based in R. K. Studio, a film studio, both established by and named after the Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor. It was headquartered at Chembur, Mumbai. Founded in 1948, one year after India gained independence. It had a rough start, as its first movie, Aag (1948) did not perform well at the box office. Most of the R. K. Films productions share a common theme of criticising society and depicting love across social divides.
Kapoor Haveli is a residential building in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan.
"Apna Bombay Talkies" is a Hindi song from the 2013 anthology film, Bombay Talkies. Composed by Amit Trivedi, the song is sung by Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Kumar Sanu, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Sonu Nigam, Kavita Krishnamurti, Sadhana Sargam, Sunidhi Chauhan, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, KK, Sukhwinder Singh, Shilpa Rao, Mohit Chauhan, with lyrics penned by Swanand Kirkire.
Aditya Raj Kapoor is an Indian actor, filmmaker, author and retired businessman. Born into the Kapoor family, he is the son of actors Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali.
Zahan Prithviraj Kapoor is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi films and theater plays. A member of the Kapoor family, he is son of actor Kunal Kapoor and Sheena Sippy.
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