PRITHVIRAJ KAPOOR, The Stalwart of Hindi Film Industry

The dashing and handsome son of a young police officer from Punjab of British India, rushes to Bombay with some money from his aunt to pursue a career in Bollywood. Today, he is considered one of the most celebrated actors in the Indian film industry - Prithviraj Kapoor.

Prithviraj Kapoor in the film Ek Raat (1942) (Source : Wikipedia)

A pioneer in the Indian film industry and theatre industry, Prithviraj Kapoor was born on November 3, 1906 in Lyllapur (Now Faisalabad), Pakistan. Kapoor began acting in theatres of his home town, where he became fascinated by the art and the artistry. He was ostracised by his parents for attending theatre and had great difficulty keeping his passion alive, which led him to the decision of moving to Bombay. In the late 1920s, he joined the Imperial Films Company in Bombay. In the company, he began playing minor roles in films starting with “Be Dhari Talwar'' which was his debut film. In the following year, Kapoor got his first leading role in his third film, “Cinema Girl”. After appearing in nine silent films, in 1931, he played a supporting role in the first talkie, “Alam Ara” (1931) directed by Ardeshir Irani, where he showcased one of his greatest assets: his powerful, flowing voice.

As his films did not do well at the box office, he started taking small roles in every film that came his way. The 1932 film “Rajrani Meera'', directed by Devaki Bose, was Kapoor's breakthrough project. In 1934, he followed with his even more successful “Seeta'', a film in which he played Rama alongside Durga Khote in the title role. His acclaimed performances include Manzil, President, Vidyapati, Pagal, and Sikandar. His most famous role is probably that of Alexander the Great in Sohrab Modi's Sikandar (1941). Meanwhile, Prithviraj continued performing on stage as his first love. Ultimately, he turned out to be a good actor both on stage and on the film screens. After achieving sufficient success on the big screen, Prithviraj founded his own theatre company in 1944 called Prithvi Theatre. The theatre delivered some 2,662 shows over the 16 years of its existence, with Prithviraj appearing in every show, touring across India for four to six months each time.

However, in the late 1950s, the theatre era began to crumble, and most of the 80 theatre actors and technicians were gradually absorbed into the film industry. He then started playing important roles in films but not as the lead. His most memorable performances include his roles in “Mughal E Azam,” “Harishchandra Taramati,” “Sikandar-e-Azam,” and “Kal Aaj Aur Kal.” He has also appeared in critically acclaimed Punjabi films such as “Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai,” “Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar” and “Mele Mittran De.” He lost his voice while directing the film 'Paisa' in 1954 and stopped acting in films. In 1954, he was awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and in 1969 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. Prithvi Theatre then merged with the Shakespeare Company run by Shashi Kapoor and his wife Jennifer Kendall and was revived as the “Shakespeareana.” This led to the company being permanently based in Mumbai on November 5, 1978.

Prithviraj was married at a very early age of 18 while his wife was only 15. Both Prithviraj and his wife Ramsarni suffered from cancer in their old age. Prithviraj died on May 29, 1972, and his wife died two weeks after him on June 14, 1972. After his death, Prithviraj received Indian cinema's highest honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 1972, becoming only the third person in the Indian film industry to receive this prestigious award. The India Post issued a special 2 rupee stamp for him in 1996 to commemorate his Golden Jubilee at the Prithvi Theatre.

Prithviraj Kapoor is also known for providing India with the first film family. His father, Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, a retired Deputy Inspector of Peshawar, played a cameo role in his grandson Raj Kapoor's film Awaara. Thus, the Kapoor family brought their fifth generation to the Indian film industry. All three of his sons - Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, and Shammi Kapoor - became legendary actors, while his two daughters-in-law also worked in the film industry. Most of his grandchildren, namely Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, and Sanjana Kapoor, have worked and achieved success as actors and/or as filmmakers. His great-grandchildren Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, and Ranbir Kapoor are also well-known in the same industry.

He died years ago, but he still resides in the hearts of people who dream about becoming an actor, people who love art, and people who believe and do what their heart says. The “Theatre Wala” is celebrating his 116th Birth Anniversary today, November 03. What’s your favourite performance of this legendary actor?

Prithviraj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar from the movie “Mughal-E-Azam” (1960) (Source - Pinterest)