Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur turns 77 today. The nephew of veteran Hindi cinema actor Dev Anand, Shekhar has emerged as one of the most celebrated filmmakers of the Indian film industry. However, Shekhar was discouraged by his father from entering the film industry and worked as an accountant and a consultant for many years until he finally heard his calling and entered the world of cinema as a story writer. did.
Shekhar worked as an actor, a producer, but he is widely known for his direction. On his birthday, we take a look at some notable films directed by him.
- Masoom (Hindi, 1983)
Shekhar made his directorial debut in 1983 with Masoom. The film was an adaptation of Eric Segal’s popular novel Man, Woman and Child and depicts the story of a married man who is haunted by an incident in his past. The film starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Supriya Pathak. Actors Jugal Hansraj, Urmila Matondkar also starred as child actors in the film. - Mr. India (Hindi, 1987)
Shekhar can also be credited with directing India’s first superhero film. Mr. India starred Anil Kapoor as the titular star and Sridevi as the female lead. The film depicts how the righteous Mr. India, empowered by a ‘secret device’ invented by his father, fights evil. The superhero film gave Indian cinema one of its iconic villains, Mogambo, played by Amrish Puri. Mr. India emerged as a hit film at the box office. - Bandit Queen (Hindi, 1994)
This smash-hitting drama, starring Seema Biswas in the lead, chronicles the life of former activist and politician Phoolan Devi. The film depicts the socio-cultural story of rural India where the caste system takes a brutal form. The film was praised for its portrayal of Phoolan’s story and established Kapoor as a critically acclaimed filmmaker. The film featured stellar performances by supporting actors such as Nirmal Pandey, Saurabh Shukla, Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao. Bandit Queen was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars in 1995, however, it did not receive a nomination. - Elizabeth (English, 1998)
The critically acclaimed film starred Cate Blanchett in the lead and proved to be a gamechanger for the Australian actor. The film traces the early years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, highlighting the struggles faced by the British monarch. Kapoor also directed ‘Elizabeth: The’
Golden Age, the sequel to the classic, which came out in 2007. Kate won her Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for this film. - New York, I Love You (2008)
A collection of eleven short stories set in New York, this romantic-comedy anthology boasts a fabulous ensemble cast. One of the segments in this anthology directed by Shekhar Kapur focuses on the characters of Isabelle, Bellhop and Jacob, played by Julie Christie, John Hurt and Shia LaBeouf respectively. Other directors on this anthology include Mira Nair, Brett Ratner and Natalie Portman.
read all latest movie news Here