By: Vatsala Gurunath

Who would forget the dilemma of a loving father and that of an aristocratic ruler torn between love for the son and the duty of a king, played by the late Prithviraj Kapoor as Akbar in Mughal-E-Azam?

He was the man, with misty affectionate eyes and an adorable face. The head of the Kapoor clan, Prithviraj kapoor was the picture of a loving grandfather. He is among the earliest Indian film actors and makers who have remained in the history as the unforgettable.

Coming from a middle class Landlord family in Samundri, a district of the industrial township of Lyallpur, Punjab, now in Pakistan, Prithviraj got most of his grounding from his Grandfather, Dewan Keshavmal.

Though, the late Prithviraj Kapoor is best remembered for his career in cinema, a career that spanned more than 40 illustrious years, it was the theatre to which he dedicated his life. In 1944 he established the Prithvi Theatres.

In 1927 Prithviraj left College, where he was studying for a degree in law, to pursue a career as an actor. He came to Bombay and joined the Imperial Studio Co. where he spent two days as an extra, and then as fate would have it was selected to play the lead in a silent film Cinema Girl starring Ermelene, the screen goddess of her time. Since then it has been Bombay and not Peshawar that this glorious Pathan reigned in.

Prithviraj Kapor was aptly titled as Alexander the great, after his regal imposing personality, which fetched him Sohrab Modi's Sikander-E- -Azam and also due to his resounding voice, which made his kind Akbar's role in K. Asif's Mughal-E-Azam as memorable was his performance that stays etched in audience memory till now.

He is the only actor, the recipient of the Dada saheb Phalke award, third in a row and has been bestowed with this prestigious award posthumously.

 He also made his tall and elegant presence made in India's first talkie film Alam Ara made in 1929 . He has even performed in classic films like President, Sapera, Dushman, Vidyapati, Earthquake etc

Despite many roles masterfully enacted, his most memorable performance to a Hindi movie buff would be that of Akbar, in Mughal-E-Azam. His last film was his Randhir Kapoor's directorial debut Kal Aaj Aur Kal, which he completed in his death bed.

The kingly actor who enlivened all his characters with a fire of his own, breathed his last on 29th May 1972.

Prithviraj Kapoor had many firsts to his credit. He was among the first actors, first among the Phalke awardees and also was the first nominated film member of the Rajya Sabha for eight continuous years.

Prithviraj kapoor, like Alexander the great, whose role he played remains everlasting in the pages of history as men who have influenced
their successors.

Recent Stories
Mukesh, the master singer!!
Man who made people laugh

Archives