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Pankaj Kapur (born 29 May 1954) is an Indian actor who has worked in
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
theatre, television and films. He has appeared in several television serials and films. He is the recipient of several awards, including a
Filmfare Award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
and three National Film Awards. His most acclaimed film roles to date have been that of Inspector P.K. in ''
Raakh ''Raakh'' () is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Aditya Bhattacharya, starring Aamir Khan and Supriya Pathak in the lead roles with Pankaj Kapur, Gajanan Bangera and Jagdeep. The film was Aamir Khan's first movie after '' ...
'' (1989), Dr. Dipankar Roy in '' Ek Doctor Ki Maut'' (1991) and Abba ji, (based on Shakespeare's
King Duncan King Duncan is a fictional character in Shakespeare's ''Macbeth.'' He is the father of two youthful sons ( Malcolm and Donalbain), and the victim of a well-plotted regicide in a power grab by his trusted captain Macbeth. The origin of the c ...
) in
Vishal Bhardwaj Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. Bha ...
's adaptation of '' Macbeth''; ''
Maqbool ''Maqbool'' is a 2004 Indian crime drama film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Irrfan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Piyush Mishra, Murali Sharma and Masumeh Makhija in an adaptation of the play ''Macbeth'' by Shakesp ...
'' (2004). In the 1980s, he became a household name through the TV series ''
Karamchand ''Karamchand'' is an Indian detective TV series telecast in June 1985. It was broadcast on India's national television channel DD1, and was one of India's first detective series. The title character was played by noted actor Pankaj Kapur. The ...
'', a comedy television series in the detective
genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
. And in the millennium, ''
Office Office ''Office Office'' is an Indian Hindi-language television sitcom that premiered on SAB TV on 3 September 2001. The show was a satirical take on the prevalent corruption in India. The series starred Pankaj Kapur in the role of Mussadilal. Cast * ...
'', a comic satire on prevalent
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
in India.


Early and personal life

Pankaj Kapur was born on 29 May 1954 in a Khatri family
Ludhiana Ludhiana ( ) is the most populous and the largest Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 Indian census, 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the ...
,
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
. He completed his education in Punjab and developed a keen interest in theatre and acting while growing up. He then enrolled in the
National School of Drama National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an indepe ...
to pursue his interest. He married actress and dancer
Neelima Azeem Neelima Azeem (born 2 December 1958) is an Indian actress, classical dancer, writer and the mother of actors Shahid Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter. She is known in India for her roles in television shows. Early life Neelima Azeem's father was Anwar ...
in 1979. They were settled in New Delhi where they had their only child
Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of several awards, in ...
in 1981. The couple divorced in 1984. Pankaj Kapur went on to marry actress
Supriya Pathak Supriya Pathak (born 7 January 1961) is an Indian actress who works in Gujarati and Hindi films and television. She has received multiple awards including three Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actress. She is mostly popular for playing the ...
in 1988. They have one daughter
Sanah Kapur ''Shaandaar'' () is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Vikas Bahl and produced by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. It stars Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in lead roles, with Pankaj Kapur and Sanjay Kapoor in ...
and a son Ruhaan Kapur.


Career

After graduating from
National School of Drama National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an indepe ...
, he did theatre for the next four years, until he was offered a role in ''
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
'' by Richard Attenborough. Over the years, as a director, he has done over 74 plays and serials, including ''Mohandas B.A.L.L.B.'', ''Wah Bhai Wah'', ''Sahabji Biwiji Ghulamji'' and ''Drishtanth'', ''Kanak Di Balli'', ''Albert's Bridge'' and ''Panchvan Savaar''. He made his film debut with Shyam Benegal's film '' Arohan'' (1982). Following that he played Mahatma Gandhi's second secretary, Pyarelal Nayyar, in the Richard Attenborough film ''
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
'' in 1982. Later he dubbed for
Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and tw ...
in the Hindi version of the film. Thereafter he appeared in a string of art films that came under the
parallel cinema Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
category, with leading art films directors, starting with Shyam Benegal's ''
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
'' (1983),
Kundan Shah Kundan Shah (19 October 1947 – 7 October 2017), was an Indian film director and writer. He is known for his comedy classic ''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' (1983) and his 1986–1987, TV series ''Nukkad'' with Saeed Akhtar Mirza. Biography Kundan Shah ...
's comedy ''
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro ''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' () is a 1983 Indian Hindi-language satirical black comedy film directed by Kundan Shah and produced by NFDC. It is a dark satire on the rampant corruption in Indian politics, bureaucracy, news media and business, and st ...
'' again in 1983. This was followed by
Saeed Akhtar Mirza Saeed Akhtar Mirza (born 30 June 1943) is an Indian screenwriter and director in Hindi films and television. He is the maker of notable parallel films such as ''Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!'' (1984), '' Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai'' (1980), '' ...
satirical ''
Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! ''Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!'' () is a 1984 Hindi art film, made by Saeed Akhtar Mirza, based on his own story, during the Parallel Cinema period of Indian cinema. The film is a comic satire on a judicial system, where cases drag on for decades, whe ...
'' (1984),
Mrinal Sen Mrinal Sen (''Beng.'' মৃণাল সেন; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Bengali, and few Hindi and Telugu language films. Regarded as one of the finest Ind ...
's ''
Khandhar ''Khandhar'' (English: ''Ruins'') is a 1984 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Mrinal Sen, based on a Bengali short story, ''Telenapota Abishkar'' (Discovering Telenapota) by Premendra Mitra. The film stars Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and ...
'' (1984), and
Vidhu Vinod Chopra Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born 5 September 1952) is an Indian film director, producer, editor, screenwriter, lyricist and actor. His well-known films as director are '' Parinda'' (1988), '' 1942: A Love Story'' (1994). He is also known for producing ...
's suspense thriller ''
Khamosh ''Khamosh'' () is 1985 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, Soni Razdan and Pankaj Kapoor. The film became notable for actors Palekar, ...
'' in 1985. He appeared in a number of art films, many of which went on to win National Film Awards. In 1986, he switched to television, with the role of Karamchand ''jasoos''(detective) in the detective-comedy, ''Karamchand'', also starring Sushmita Mukherjee. Over the years he has been seen in numerous TV serials, including, ''Kab Tak Pukaroon'' (
Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
) ''Zabaan Sambhaal Ke'' (a remake of the English TV series, ''Mind Your Language''), ''Lifeline'' with
Vijaya Mehta Vijaya Mehta (born 4 November 1934), is a noted Indian Marathi film and theatre director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is a founder member of Mumbai-based theatre group, Rangayan with playwright Vijay Tendulka ...
, '' Neem ka Ped'' and finally comic interludes in ''Philips Top 10''. Meanwhile, his tryst with art cinema continued, as he starred in films like ''
Chameli Ki Shaadi ''Chameli Ki Shaadi'' () is a 1986 Hindi-language comedy film directed by Basu Chatterjee starring Anil Kapoor and Amrita Singh. Though it was fairly average at the box office due to low cost, it was critically acclaimed. Over the years, the f ...
'' (1986), ''
Ek Ruka Hua Faisla ''Ek Ruka Hua Faisla'' (English: ''A Pending Decision'') is an Indian Hindi-language thriller film, directed by Basu Chatterjee. It is a remake of the Golden Bear winning American motion picture ''12 Angry Men'' (1957) directed by Sidney Lumet ...
'' (1986), and ''
Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin (English: This Is Not Our Destination) is a 1987 Hindi drama film written and directed by Sudhir Mishra, in a directorial debut. It starred Manohar Singh, Habib Tanvir, B. M. Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Sushmita Mukherjee and Nas ...
'' (1987). In 1987, his comic side was visible again in the commercial action film ''
Jalwa ''Jalwa'' is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Pankaj Parashar and produced by Gul Anand. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah and Archana Puran Singh in the title roles. The film is set in Goa, where it was mostly shot. The film ...
'', also starring Naseeruddin Shah. His first National Film Award came with the 1989 film, ''
Raakh ''Raakh'' () is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Aditya Bhattacharya, starring Aamir Khan and Supriya Pathak in the lead roles with Pankaj Kapur, Gajanan Bangera and Jagdeep. The film was Aamir Khan's first movie after '' ...
'', which also starred
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...
. He starred in the classic Punjabi film ''Marhi Da Diva'' (1989). He featured in the 1992
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...
film ''
Roja Roja may refer to: * ''Roja'' (film), a 1992 Tamil-language film by director Mani Ratnam * ''Roja'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film * Roja Selvamani Roja Selvamani (born Sri Latha Reddy; 17 November 1972), also known as R. K. ...
'' directed. (''Roja'' was made in Tamil and later dubbed in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu and Malayalam.) His strongest performance in the early part of his career came from his lead role of struggling scientist in the film '' Ek Doctor Ki Maut'' (1991), for which he was awarded the 1991 National Film Award – Special Jury Award. In 2000 he returned to television with the serial ''
Office Office ''Office Office'' is an Indian Hindi-language television sitcom that premiered on SAB TV on 3 September 2001. The show was a satirical take on the prevalent corruption in India. The series starred Pankaj Kapur in the role of Mussadilal. Cast * ...
'' a satirical take on the prevalent corruption in India. In 2003 he appeared in ''
Maqbool ''Maqbool'' is a 2004 Indian crime drama film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Irrfan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Piyush Mishra, Murali Sharma and Masumeh Makhija in an adaptation of the play ''Macbeth'' by Shakesp ...
'',
Vishal Bhardwaj Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. Bha ...
's adaptation of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's '' Macbeth''. His antagonistic performance as the short-statured, potbellied, shuffle-footed Abbaji in ''Maqbool'' got him the 2004
National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Supporting Actor (), is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), an ...
. Meanwhile, he released films like ''
The Blue Umbrella ''The Blue Umbrella'' is a 1980 Indian novel written by Ruskin Bond. It was adapted into 2005 Hindi film by the same name, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, which later won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film The National Film Awar ...
'' (2005), ''
Dus ''Dus'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Anubhav Sinha, based on the lives of seven fictional SIT (Indian Special Investigation) Team officers. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, Zayed Kha ...
'' (2005) and ''
Halla Bol ''Halla Bol'' (''Raise Your Voice'') is an Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. ''Halla Bol'' stars Ajay Devgn and Vidya Balan in pivotal roles and a number of celebrities from the Hindi and other film industries appe ...
'' (2007). In 2006, he started to be seen again on TV. In the TV series, '' Naya Office Office'', a sequel to his previous series ''
Office Office ''Office Office'' is an Indian Hindi-language television sitcom that premiered on SAB TV on 3 September 2001. The show was a satirical take on the prevalent corruption in India. The series starred Pankaj Kapur in the role of Mussadilal. Cast * ...
''. On 11 January 2013, the Vishal Bharadwaj-directed film ''
Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola ''Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola'' () is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language satirical black comedy film produced by Vishal Bhardwaj along with Fox Star Studios. Besides co-producing, Bhardwaj has also directed, co-scripted and scored the music for the ...
'', starring Kapur was released. In November 2019, Kapur made his literature debut with his novella '''Dopehri','' which he had written in 1992. Presently he appears in the television series named ‘Naya Office Office’ which itself is a sequel to the previous hit TV series ‘Office Office’.


Filmography


Director

* '' Mausam'' (2011) Starring Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Jaspal Bhatti * '' Mohandas B.A.L.L.B.'' (1998)


Writer

*'' Sau Jhooth Ek Sach'' (2005)


Television

* '' Karamchand (Season 1)'' (1985–1988) * ''
Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne ''Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne'' is an Indian television series directed by Prakash Jha that revolved around the life of Mungerilal, played by Raghubir Yadav. The serial was conceptualised by Neeraj Kumar (police officer) who also gave it its icon ...
'' (1989-1990) * '' Zabaan Sambhalke (Season 1)'' (1993-1994) as Mohan Bharti * '' Neem Ka Ped'' (1991) as Budhai Ram * ''
Phatichar ''Phatichar'' (translation: poor, wearing tattered clothes) is an Indian television series on Doordarshan in 1991, starring Pankaj Kapur in the title role. His character lived in a cement pipe and the show portrayed, in a bitter-sweet manner, t ...
'' (1991) * ''Lifeline'' with
Vijaya Mehta Vijaya Mehta (born 4 November 1934), is a noted Indian Marathi film and theatre director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is a founder member of Mumbai-based theatre group, Rangayan with playwright Vijay Tendulka ...
* '' Zabaan Sambhalke (Season 2)'' (1997-1998) as Mohan Bharti * '' Mohandas B.A.L.L.B.'' (1997-1998) * ''
Office Office ''Office Office'' is an Indian Hindi-language television sitcom that premiered on SAB TV on 3 September 2001. The show was a satirical take on the prevalent corruption in India. The series starred Pankaj Kapur in the role of Mussadilal. Cast * ...
'' (2000) as Musaddi Lal * ''
Bharat Ek Khoj ''Bharat Ek Khoj'' () is a 53-episode Indian historical drama based on the book '' The Discovery of India'' (1946) by Jawaharlal Nehru that covers a 5,000-year history of India from its beginnings to independence from the British in 1947. The ...
'' * ''Tehreer as Munshi Premchand Ki –
Godaan ''Godaan'' ( hi, गोदान, , lit=Cow donation) is a famous Hindi novel by Munshi Premchand. It was first published in 1936 and is considered one of the greatest Hindi novels of modern Indian literature. Themed around the socio-economic ...
by
Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
'' (2004) * ''Kab Tak Pukaroon'' * ''Naya Office Office'' (2006–2009) * '' Karamchand (Season 2)'' (2007) * ''
JL50 ''JL50'' is an Indian Hindi-language sci-fi thriller web television miniseries which premiered on Sony Liv on 4 September 2020. The series stars Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapur, Ritika Anand, Piyush Mishra and Rajesh Sharma. Plot Shantanu, a Cent ...
'' (2020)


Dubbing roles


Live action films


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* *
Interview with Pankaj Kapoor
16 October 2002 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kapur, Pankaj 1954 births Living people Punjabi people Male actors from Ludhiana Indian male film actors Indian male television actors National School of Drama alumni Male actors in Hindi cinema 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Best Supporting Actor National Film Award winners Male actors in Konkani cinema Male actors in Hindi television Film directors from Punjab, India 21st-century Indian film directors Indian television directors Screenwriters from Punjab, India 21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Filmfare Awards winners Screen Awards winners Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners Zee Cine Awards winners 21st-century Indian screenwriters