Kunal Kapoor (actor, born 1977) (original) (raw)

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Indian actor (born 1977)

Kunal Kapoor
Kapoor in 2018
Born (1977-10-18) 18 October 1977 (age 47)Mumbai, India
Occupation Actor
Years active 2004–present
Spouse Naina Bachchan ​(m. 2015)​
Children 1
Family Bachchan family (by marriage)

Kunal Kishore Kapoor (born 18 October 1977), professionally known as Kunal Kapoor, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Hindi films. Kapoor is a recipient of several accolades including a Stardust Award and an Asiavision Award.

Kapoor started his career as an assistant director, and made his acting debut with the 2004 film Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities. Following a career breakthrough with Rang De Basanti (2006), Kapoor went onto appear in Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008), Don 2 (2011), Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012), Dear Zindagi (2016), Veeram (2016), Gold (2018) and Devadas (2018). After a long hiatus, Kapoor earned critical praises for his portrayal of Babur, in The Empire (2021). The actor will be seen next in the magnum opus Ramayan along with Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi. Next he will be seen in the Sidharth Anand Netflix film Jewel thief co starring Saif Ali Khan. He has finished a film for Aamir khan productions which will release in 2025. And will also make his Telugu debut in Vishwambara The film slated to be one of the most expensive Telugu films will see him joining forces with Chiranjeevi. He will also star in an action series to be shot in Lucknow, which he has co written. He has started a writers room to create scripts he wants to act in and produce.

Along with his acting career, Kapoor is a writer, entrepreneur and co-founder of Ketto, Asia’s largest crowdfunding platform. The platform has raised over 150 million dollars for social and medical causes. Kapoor is married to Naina Bachchan, with whom he has a son.

The actor is also a trained pilot and races rally and formula 3 cars. He is also prolific angel investor, having invested in several future tech companies.

Kapoor was born in Mumbai on 18 October 1977. His father, Kishore Kapoor was in the construction business and his mother, Kanan is a singer and homemaker. His parents are originally from Amritsar, Punjab. He is the youngest of three children, with two sisters Geeta and Reshma.

Debut and breakthrough (2004-2011)

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Kapoor trained for an acting career under Barry John, and became a part of Motley, a theatre group run by acting legend Naseeruddin Shah. He began his career as an assistant director of Aks,[1] Kapoor made his acting debut playing Kameshwar, a car mechanic, opposite Tabu in Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, which was helmed by painter MF Hussain and released in 2004. Ronjita Kulkarni of Rediff.com termed him "a pleasant surprise" and added, "His freshness adds appeal to his character, yet he emotes like a seasoned actor."[2]

In 2006, Kapoor had his breakthrough with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti, where he played a college student who after a tragedy, fights against corruption with his friends.[3] The film was critically and commercially successful and was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2007 BAFTA Awards.[4] Kamlesh Pandey, while writing for The Hindu, praised him and stated that he scores with his "understated performance and intensity". Kapoor earned a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.[5] It also became the seventh-highest grossing Hindi film of the year.[6]

Kapoor had three releases in 2007. Firstly, he played a cricket obsessed man in Hattrick alongside Rimi Sen. Yash Raj Films subsequently signed Kapoor for a three-film contract, two of which released in the same year. He played Vivaan in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, opposite Konkona Sen Sharma.[7] Kapoor reunited with Sen Sharma in Aaja Nachle, where he played Imran, a ring master who is forced to play Manju in a play.[8] Khalid Mohammed from Hindustan Times found him a bit "confused".[9]

Kapoor played a Punjabi, Joginder opposite Minissha Lamba in the 2008 film Bachna Ae Haseeno, his third with Yash Raj Films. It became the eighth-highest grossing Hindi film of the year.[10] In the same year, he played Bansi Ram, a laborer at a dockyard in Welcome to Sajjanpur, opposite Amrita Rao. The film was a critical and commercial success. Taran Adarsh termed his presence as a "surprise".[11]

After this, Kapoor took a break for two years. In 2010, he then played an aspiring Kashmiri politician in Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa co-starring Sanjay Dutt. It was a box office failure, but critics hailed his performance as "one of the most powerful performances of the year".[12] In 2011, Kapoor played Sameer, a hacker in Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don 2. The film became the second-highest grossing film of the year.[13] Bollywood Hungama found Kapoor to be "decent" but thought that he doesn't really get the scenes to prove his credentials.[14]

Career fluctuations (2012-2020)

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Kapoor promoting Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

In 2012, Kapoor appeared in Sameer Sharma's Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, which he co-wrote. Alongside Huma Qureshi, he played a Omi, who desire to go to London but is forced to move back home. Rachel Saltz of The New York Times called Kapoor the Indian Matthew McConaughey.[15] Live Mint's Sanjukta Sharma stated, "Kapoor is not the cynosure, but he pulls off the silliness and sensitivity of Omi’s character capably."[16] Post a two year hiatus, Kapoor appeared in Kaun Kitne Paani Mein, in 2015. He played Raj, an upper caste boy alongside Radhika Apte.[17] Renuka Vyavahare of Times of India found him to be "aptly cast", but his love story with Apte was termed to "digresses from the core subject".[18]

In 2016, Kapoor played Raghuvendra, a film producer opposite Alia Bhatt in Dear Zindagi. It emerged as a commercial success.[19] Sweta Kaushal of Hindustan Times noted, "Kunal Kapoor, gets an edge among the youngsters and essays his part with finesse."[20] That same year, Kapoor voiced for Rama in Mahayoddha Rama, an animation film by Raizada Rohit Jaising Vaid.[21] In her final work of the year, Kapoor appeared in the trilingual film, Veeram, directed by Jayaraj. He played a sixteenth century warrior Chandu Chekavar, in his Malayalam debut.[22] His performance won him an Asiavision Award. G. Ragesh of Onmanorama praised his "exceptional skills in kalari" and said that Kapoor "looks every bit" the masculine Chandu.[23]

Tigmanshu Dhulia's Raag Desh, based on the Indian National Army trials was Kapoor only release in 2017. He played Shah Nawaz Khan, and Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV stated that Kapoor delivered a "steady performance". He also appeared in a short film, White Shirt, in the same year.[24]

Kapoor played a hockey player, Samrat in his first release of 2018, Gold. The film is based on the journey of India's national hockey team to the 1948 Summer Olympics.[25] It was a critical and commercial success.[26] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare noted, "Kunal Kapoor as the strict coach lend gravitas."[27] Kapoor played David in his Telugu debut, Devadas, another major box office success that earned him SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role – Telugu nomination.[28] His final release that year was the English film Noblemen, where he played Murali, a drama teacher.[29] Sreeparna Sengupta of Times of India found him to be "charming and effective".[30]

Recent work and web expansion (2021-present)

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Kapoor returned to films in 2021. His first release was Koi Jaane Na, opposite Amyra Dastur, where he played Kabir, a writer and vigilante.[31] Aditya Mani Jha of Firstpost found his performance "underwhelming".[32] Kapoor then made his web debut, playing Mughal emperor Babur opposite Sahher Bambba, who played his wife, in The Empire.[33] Vibha Maru of India Today praised Kapoor and noted, "The actor breathes life into the character of Babur. Instead of making him a larger-than-life figure, Kunal shows Babur's vulnerability and everything else that makes him human."[34] While Pradeep Menon of Firstpost added, "Kunal cuts an impressive figure as Babur, but he is caricatures at the end of the day."[35] Netflix's anthology Ankahi Kahaniya, marked his final work of the year. The Quint's Stutee Ghosh noted, "The film is quite bizzare, though, Kunal Kapoor is effortlessly charming and one sure wants to see more of him."[36]

A year after getting engaged, Kapoor married Naina Bachchan, niece of Amitabh Bachchan in a private family ceremony in Seychelles on 9 February 2015.[37] A celebration dinner was held on 11 April 2015 in New Delhi. Bachchan is a banker by profession.[38][39] The couple announced the birth of their baby boy on 31 January 2022.[40]

Kapoor in 2015

Filmfare termed Kapoor an "interesting actor" and added, "Kapoor may not feature in many films, but there is something about him that makes the audience sit back and take notice of him."[41]

In 2009, Kapoor started writing weekly columns for HT City, the lifestyle supplement of the Hindustan Times. These columns ended in November 2009 but still appear online on the social network Desimartini.[42]

He is a trained pilot and rally car driver.[43][44] In 2014, he started training for the Formula Three. He co-founded Asia's largest crowdfunding platform called Ketto,[45] which raises money for social and individual causes. To date, the platform has raised close to 120 million dollars and is one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in the world. He is also known to be an avid investor in early stage tech companies with investments ranging from FMCG companies to robotics [_citation needed_]

He is also known for his style and has been voted amongst the most stylish men in the country. He was on GQ's list of the top ten stylish men in the country.

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Film Result Ref.
2005 Zee Cine Awards Best Newcomer Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities Nominated
2007 Filmfare Awards Best Supporting Actor Rang De Basanti Nominated
International Indian Film Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated
2017 Asiavision Awards Outstanding Performance of the Year Veeram Won [57]
2019 South Indian International Movie Awards Best Actor in a Negative Role – Telugu Devadas Nominated [58]

  1. ^ a b Kapoor played a single character with two or more names

  2. ^ Paitandy, Priyadarshini (7 June 2008). "Cool Kunal". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.

  3. ^ Kulkarni, Ronjita (1 April 2004). "Tabu is GLORIOUS!". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.

  4. ^ Sen, Raja (12 January 2006). "Rang De is not a war film". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2008.

  5. ^ "'Rang De Basanti' loses at BAFTA awards". The Hindu. Press Trust of India. 13 February 2007. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2008.

  6. ^ Kamath, Sudhish (3 February 2006). "Both dream and nightmare". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.

  7. ^ "Top Worldwide Grossers 2006". boxofficeindia.com.

  8. ^ "Old whine, older bottle". Hindustan Times. 11 February 2009. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009.

  9. ^ "Box Office 2007". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013.

  10. ^ "Movie Review:AAJA NACHLE". Dixit cannot Fix it. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2007.

  11. ^ "Bachna Ae Haseeno". Box Office India.

  12. ^ "Movie Review: Welcome to Sajjanpur". Bollywood Hungama. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

  13. ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (15 July 2010). "Lamhaa: Movie Review". Times of India. Retrieved 16 July 2010.

  14. ^ "Bollywood Box Office: Top Grossers in INDIA for 2011". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.

  15. ^ "Don 2 Review". Bollywood Hungama. 23 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2011.

  16. ^ Saltz, Rachel (November 2012). "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana Movie Review". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

  17. ^ Sharma, Sanjukta (31 October 2012). "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana Movie Review". Live Mint. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

  18. ^ "Kaun Kitney Paani Mein - Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.

  19. ^ "Kaun Kitney Paani Mein Movie Review". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

  20. ^ "Box Office: Worldwide Collections and Day wise breakup of Dear Zindagi". Bollywood Hungama. 26 November 2016. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.

  21. ^ Sweta Kaushal (28 November 2016). "Dear Zindagi review: Shah Rukh Khan is charming but this life is unreal". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.

  22. ^ Reddy, Sujata (4 August 2008). "Ramayana returns". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.

  23. ^ K. S., Aravind (13 December 2015). "Director Jayaraj creates history". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 19 August 2016.

  24. ^ Ragesh, G. (27 February 2017). "Veeram Movie Review". Onmanorama. Retrieved 23 December 2017.

  25. ^ "Raag Desh Movie Review: This Riveting Tale Is Part War Film, Part Courtroom Drama". NDTV. Retrieved 22 November 2017.

  26. ^ "Yorkshire transformed into Bollywood film set for Gold". The Week. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2018.

  27. ^ "Box Office: Worldwide Collections and Day wise breakup of Gold". Bollywood Hungama. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.

  28. ^ Devesh Sharma. "Gold Movie Review". Filmfare. Retrieved 12 September 2018.

  29. ^ "Tollywood box office report of 2018: highest grossing Telugu movies of year; List of hits and flops". International Business Times. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

  30. ^ "Kunal Kapoor will teach Shakespeare's plays in Vandana Kataria's The Noblemen". Hindustan Times. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.

  31. ^ Sengupta, Sreeparna (28 June 2019). "NOBLEMEN MOVIE REVIEW". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 August 2019.

  32. ^ "Koi Jaane Na trailer: Fact meets fiction in this Kunal Kapoor starrer murder mystery". The Indian Express. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.

  33. ^ Aditya Mani Jha (3 April 2021). "Koi Jaane Na movie review: Kunal Kapoor's film is narratively weak with veneer-thin characters". Firstpost. Retrieved 26 July 2021.

  34. ^ "Nikkhil Advani's web series The Empire to launch on Disney+Hotstar soon". India Today. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.

  35. ^ Vibha Maru (27 August 2021). "The Empire Review: Kunal Kapoor and Shabana Azmi rule this historical drama". India Today. Retrieved 20 September 2021.

  36. ^ "The Empire review: Full marks for ambition, yet familiar clichés abound". Firstpost. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

  37. ^ "Ankahi Kahaniya Review: Abhishek Chaubey's Tender Short is a Clear Winner". The Quint. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.

  38. ^ "Kunal Kapoor weds Amitabh Bachchan's niece Naina". The Hindu. 11 February 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2015.

  39. ^ "Kunal Kapoor and Naina Bachchan fairy tale love story". The Hindu. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2019.

  40. ^ "Naina Bachchan and Kunal Kapoor's wedding reception". Vogue India. 21 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2020.

  41. ^ "Kunal Kapoor, Naina Bachchan welcome baby boy. Celebs say congrats". India Today. 31 January 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.

  42. ^ "Kunal Kapoor reveals he is an accidental actor". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.

  43. ^ "Kunal Kapoor columns". Desimartini. Archived from the original on 30 July 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2008.

  44. ^ "Kunal Kapoor Birthday Special: Here's Taking A Look At How 2021 Has Been A Fantastic Year For The Actor". Outlook India. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2022.

  45. ^ Bhandari, Kabir Singh (21 September 2022). "Sneak Peek: Kunal Kapoor On What Makes Him Stronger". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 20 November 2022.

  46. ^ "Speaker Profile of Kunal Kapoor at Etailing India". ETailing India. Archived from the original on 10 February 2017.

  47. ^ Rajamani, Radhika (13 April 2004). "The long act". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2008.

  48. ^ Subhash K Jha. "Safe sets?". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2008.

  49. ^ Roshmila Bhattacharya (17 January 2012). "Kunal Kapoor chickens out of workouts". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012.

  50. ^ Lohana, Avinash (5 January 2016). "Kunal Kapoor is a warrior in trilingual Macbeth". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 20 September 2016.

  51. ^ "Kunal Kapoor to star in bullying drama 'Nobleman'". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.

  52. ^ "Koi Jaane Na: Director Amin Hajee kicks off the psychological thriller starring Kunal Kapoor and Amyra Dastur". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 January 2019.

  53. ^ "Vishwambhara new schedule begins today – idlebrain.com". Idlebrain. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.

  54. ^ "Siddharth Anand and Saif Ali Khan ream up after 17 years; duo gets snapped outside Marflix Pictures office joins". Bollywood Hungama. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

  55. ^ "The Empire trailer: Hotstar brings Bhansali-level scale to small screen 'in India's biggest show', watch". Hindustan Times. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.

  56. ^ Gupta, Pratim D. (9 May 2006). "Pop poll of the star-struck". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 May 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2008.

  57. ^ Shah, Diti; Navgire, Moses (26 February 2007). "Mumbai hosts Max Stardust awards". Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2008.[_permanent dead link_‍]

  58. ^ "Asiavision Movie Awards 2017: Deepika Padukone, Dulquer Salmaan, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas grace event [PHOTOS]". International Business Times. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2020.

  59. ^ "SIIMA Awards 2019: Here's a complete list of nominees". Times of India. 19 July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.