 |
Shekhar KapurIndian film director and producer
Country:
 India |
Content:
- Biography of Shekhar Kapur
- Early Life and Education
- Early Career
- Directorial Success
- International Recognition
- Other Ventures
- Current Endeavors
Biography of Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur, an Indian film director and producer, gained widespread recognition for his biographical drama film "Bandit Queen" in 1994. He was nominated for an Oscar for directing the film "Elizabeth" and its sequel, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".
Early Life and Education
Shekhar Kapur was born in 1945 in Lahore, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan). His father, Kulbhushan Kapur, was a successful practicing doctor, and his mother, Shil Kanta, was a journalist and talented actress. Kapur completed his schooling in New Delhi and pursued an economics course at St. Stephen's College. By the age of 22, Kapur became a qualified accountant, but this was only to please his parents.
Early Career
Kapur's career began with working for a multinational oil company. In 1970, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he worked as a management consultant and accountant for several years. His acting career took off with his participation in the Indian film "Jaan Hazir Hai" in 1975 and continued in Bollywood with a role in the musical "Toote Khilone" in 1978. He also appeared in various television series, including "Udaan" with Kavita Chaudhary, and other films, but he struggled to establish a successful acting career.
Directorial Success
Kapur took a step towards directing and made the family drama "Masoom" in 1983, which received positive reviews from critics. In 1987, he directed the science-fiction film "Mr. India" based on a screenplay by Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan. Then, in 1994, he achieved his greatest recognition with the biographical film "Bandit Queen" starring Seema Biswas, in which he also played a minor role as a truck driver. Kapur directed some scenes in the 1989 film "Joshilay" with Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, and Meenakshi Seshadri. He was also one of the directors of the Indian film "Time Machine" in 1992.
International Recognition
Kapur gained international acclaim for directing the historical drama "Elizabeth" in 1998, which depicted the life of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's daughter. The film was nominated for seven Oscars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Its sequel, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," also received two Oscar nominations. British tabloids accused Kapur of having anti-British sentiments for his depiction of the British army and empire in the 2002 film "The Four Feathers".
Other Ventures
Kapur served as an executive producer for the film "Guru" starring Jimmy Mistry and Heather Graham. He also helped establish one of the Indian film production companies along with Ram Gopal Varma and Mani Ratnam. So far, the company has released only one film, the thriller "Love at First Sight" in 1998, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. Kapur became an executive producer for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Bombay Dreams," which successfully ran in London's West End from 2002 and later on Broadway in New York in 2004. In 2005, the director worked with Oprah Winfrey on the film "Hunji!" about a young Indian housemaid who idolizes cricketer Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
Current Endeavors
Shekhar Kapur currently serves as one of the judges on the reality show "India's Got Talent." He was previously married to singer and actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthi until their divorce in February 2007. However, they continue to live as neighbors, raising their daughter named Kaveri together. Additionally, Kapur ventured into voice acting by narrating the audiobook "The Story of My Experiments with Truth," in which Nandita Das was the storyteller.
