Prithviraj Kapoor

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Prithviraj Kapoor as Alexander the Great in Sikander.

Biography

Prithviraj Kapoor (November 3, 1906 - May 29, 1972) was a Bollywood film actor. Kapoor was born at Peshawar, British India (now Pakistan) to a middle-class family. Kapoor acted in India's first talking picture, Alam Ara (1931). Kapoor developed his reputation as a fine actor on both stage and screen. Kapoor's best-known performance is perhaps in the role of Alexander the Great in Sohrab Modi’s, 1941 film Sikander. Kapoor remained dedicated to the stage and invested in Hindi theater. Kapoor created Prithvi Theatres in 1944, where he went on to produce many plays. His sons, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor also went on to become famous actors in their own right. Kapoor died in 1972.

Legacy

Since his death Pritviraj Kapoor's descendents have acted in the industry and have maintained the "Kapoor" dynasty. His sons all became great actors. His eldest son (Raj Kapoor) notably carried on his film legacy. His grandsons Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor all went on to become actors, producers or directors. In particular his great granddaughters, Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor have gone on to become the top stars of their generation.

Awards

Kapoor was the 3rd recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award for Indian cinema. Prithviraj was awarded Padma Bhushan by the President in 1969.

Selected Filmography

• Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
• Awaara (1951)
• Sikander (1941)
• Vidyapati (1937)
• Alam Ara (1931)

External links

Prithviraj Kapoor at IMDb