Celebrating Anil Kapoor with five ‘jhakaas’ performances
Over the years, Anil Kapoor has managed to amaze the audience with a variety of "jhakaas" roles throughout the course of a career that has lasted over 40 years. For this multi-talented actor who has delighted audiences with action stunts, comedies, and romantic blockbusters, age is only a number. While celebrating his 66th birthday, let us go through five of his greatest performances on screen.
Mr. India
The 1987 film, directed by Shekhar Kapur with the greatest box office take, is still regarded as a cult favourite. Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri, and Satish Kaushik all had prominent parts in the movie, and each received praise for giving outstanding performances. One of the first few sci-fi movies made by Bollywood was an enduring masterpiece and is one of Kapoor's filmography's more unpolished performances.
Tezaab
This critically-acclaimed film is a must-watch for its soulful songs and terrific performances. The stormy drama, which is a love-story at heart, jumps back and forth in time to follow the circumstances leading to the couple's estrangement, and his loss of innocence. With defined action, humour, romance, and glitz typical of 1980s entertainment, Tezaab really brings out the best of Kapoor.
Slumdog Millionaire
Anil Kapoor played the game show presenter, Prem Kumar, in this iconic movie, which received ten Academy Award nominations in 2009 and took home eight of them. This Danny Boyle's directorial is a "rags to riches" story of a Mumbai orphan who rises to fame through his lively intelligence. This story presented India in the rawest of forms, and focused on the underlying social class distinction haunting the nation.
Pukar
The action thriller film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi featured Anil Kapoor as Major Jaidev Rajvansh. His versatility is at its very peak as he essays the role of a war hero, a besotted lover, a court-martialled officer, and ultimately a man fighting for his integrity. This performance earned him his first National Film Award for Best Actor and the evergreen Anil-Madhuri duo wooed the hearts of millions of fans.
Dil Dhadakne Do
Years after his love boy and rebel era, DDD was a refreshment to the audience. Based on an almost-realistic plotline of a rich businessman's dysfunctional family, this multistarrer does not stop Kapoor from shining. With a speck of grey hair, and tint of evil industrialist, he does absolute justice to the role and wonderfully transcends into a family head the Mehras deserve.
Maisha Islam Monamee is a student of IBA, DU, and a freelance journalist who likes reading, scribbling, and blogging. Write to her at mislammonamee@gmail.com.