Shekhar Kapur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shekhar Kapur
Kapur in 2008
Born	Shekhar Kulbhushan Kapur (1945-12-06) 6 December 1945 (age 79) Lahore, Punjab, British India
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1974–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Medha Gujral ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1994)​ Suchitra Krishnamoorthi ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2007)​
Children	1
Relatives	Sohaila Kapur (sister) Dev Anand (uncle) Chetan Anand (uncle) Vijay Anand (uncle) Purab Kohli (nephew)
Family	Anand-Sahni family
Honours	Padma Bhushan (2025) Padma Shri (2000)
Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India
In office 30 September 2020 – 1 September 2023
Preceded by	B. P. Singh
Succeeded by	R. Madhavan

Shekhar Kulbhushan Kapur (born 6 December 1945) is a famous Indian filmmaker. He is known for directing many popular movies. Shekhar Kapur has won several important awards. These include a BAFTA Award and a National Film Award. He also received the Padma Bhushan in 2025, which is one of India's highest civilian honors.

Kapur first became well-known in Bollywood as an actor. He appeared in the TV series Khandaan. Later, he started directing films. His first movie as a director was Masoom in 1983. He then directed the very popular film Mr. India in 1987.

He gained international fame with his 1994 film Bandit Queen. This movie was about the life of Phoolan Devi, an Indian politician. The film was shown at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. Shekhar Kapur continued to direct successful international films. These include Elizabeth (1998) and its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).

Early Life and Education

Shekhar Kapur was born on 6 December 1945. His birthplace was Lahore, in what was then British India. He grew up in a Punjabi Hindu family. His father, Kulbhushan Kapoor, was a doctor. His mother was Sheel Kanta Kapoor.

When India and Pakistan were separated, a difficult event happened. Shekhar's mother had to pretend to be dead to protect him and his sister. She hid them under her body during a violent incident. Kapur later said that this event showed the "blood of one people" during the partition of India.

Shekhar Kapur is related to famous Indian actors. His mother, Sheel Kanta, was the sister of Dev Anand, Chetan Anand, and Vijay Anand. Even though his uncles were in films, his father did not want him to join the film industry. Shekhar is the only son and has three sisters.

He went to Modern School in New Delhi. He then studied economics at St. Stephen's College. When he was 22, he became a Chartered Accountant in England. He worked as an accountant and a consultant for several years.

Filmmaking Journey

Shekhar Kapur started his career as a filmmaker in India.

Directing Films in India

His first film as a director was Masoom in 1983. It was a family drama starring Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi. The story was about a boy trying to be accepted by his stepmother. In 1987, he directed Mr. India. This science-fiction film featured Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, and Amrish Puri. Amrish Puri's character, Mogambo, became very famous. His line "Mogambo Khush Hua" is still remembered today.

In 1994, Kapur directed Bandit Queen. This film received a lot of praise. He even had a small role in it as a truck driver. Shekhar Kapur was known for sometimes leaving films he started directing. For example, he began directing Joshilaay (1989) and Barsaat (1992) but left before they were finished.

Kapur was also involved in other film projects. He was an executive producer for the film The Guru. He also helped create an Indian film company with other directors. This company produced the film Dil Se.. (1998). He was also an executive producer for the Bollywood-themed musical Bombay Dreams. This musical was shown in London and New York City. In 2016, Kapur made a documentary about Amma, called "The Science of Compassion".

International Film Work

Shekhar Kapur gained international fame in 1998. He directed the film Elizabeth. This movie was about the life of British Queen Elizabeth I. It was nominated for seven Oscars. He later directed the sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, in 2007. This film was also nominated for two Oscars.

In 2002, he directed the war drama The Four Feathers. Some people criticized his portrayal of the British Army in the film. However, Kapur explained that he was simply against colonization.

Other Activities

Shekhar Kapur also worked as an actor. He appeared in Hindi movies like Jaan Hazir Hai (1975) and Toote Khilone. He was also in several Hindi TV dramas. These include Udaan and Masoom.

He served as a judge on the reality TV show India's Got Talent. This show aired on Colors. In 2013, Kapur hosted the TV show Pradhanmantri on ABP News. He was the narrator for this show, which explored different parts of Indian history.

Comic Book Creation

In 2006, Kapur co-founded Liquid Comics and Virgin Animation. This company creates new stories and characters for a global audience. They launched comic book titles like Devi and The Sadhu. Devi is about a strong female warrior. The Sadhu is about a man choosing between his spiritual path and human feelings.

Personal Life

Shekhar Kapur was married to Medha Gujral. She was the niece of a former Indian Prime Minister. They divorced in 1994. Later, he married actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthi in 1999. They have a daughter named Kaveri Kapur. The couple divorced in 2007.

Filmography

Shekhar Kapur has directed several notable feature films:

Awards and Honors

Shekhar Kapur has received many awards for his work. In 2000, he was awarded the Padma Shri. This is the fourth highest civilian award in India. In 2010, he was a judge at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. In 2020, Kapur became the president of the Film and Television Institute of India. In 2023, he was the chairperson of the International competition Jury at the 54th International Film Festival of India.

Here are some of the awards he has won or been nominated for:

See also

In Spanish: Shekhar Kapur para niños