The pioneer of Indian cinema and theatre, Prithviraj Kapoor is considered a stalwart in both fields. His contribution to the world of theatre and cinema is immense, his craft is unmatchable.
He began his career of acting in the silent era of Hindi cinema. Thereafter, he was also a part of India's first talkie, Alam Ara. Kapoor founded the Prithvi Theatre in 1944, which was a travelling theatre company. The premier performance of the troupe was Abhijanamsakuntalam, written by Kalidas.
The patriarch of the Kapoor family, three generations after him have continued to carry forward his legacy in the film and theatre industry. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1969 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1971 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.
Prithviraj Kapoor was born on November 3 in the year 1906. On his 113th birth anniversary, let's take a look at 5 of his finest contributions to the world of cinema.
Inquilab
Released in the year 1935, this film was directed by Debaki Bose and starred Prithviraj Kapoor, Durga Khote and Syed Mohammed. The film is set amid an earthquake in Bihar.
Anand Math
Based on the famous Bengali novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Anand Math is a 1952 historical patriotic film. It stars Prithviraj Kapoor, Bharat Bhushan, Geeta Bali, Pradeep Kumar and Ajit in the lead.
Awara
This film was one of the older releases of his career. Directed by son Raj Kapoor, Prithviraj Kapoor played the role of wealthy district judge. The film went on to become a success and was even nominated for Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival.
Mughal-e-Azam
This film follows the love story of Prince Salim (later known as Jehangir) and a beautiful court dancer Anarkali. Prithviraj Kapoor played the role of Salim's father Akbar, who disapproves the affair and imprisons Anarkali. Mughal-e-Azam broke box office records in India and became a classic, whose grandeur and charm remains unmatched even today. This was probably the most memorable role of Prithviraj Kapoor.
Kal Aaj Aur Kal
Directed by grandson Randhir Kapoor, this film's greatest USP was the appearance of three generations of the Kapoor family - Prithviraj Kapoor, his son Raj Kapoor and his son Randhir Kapoor. This was one of the final films of the grand old artist as he died the year following this film's release.
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