Pankaj Kapur

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e Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Marlon Brando and would watch their films and idolize them. Watching films increased his passion for drama and cinema. Once his father asked him, whether he was obsessed with the glitter and glamour of cinema or if was he genuinely passionate about acting. Young Pankaj confessed that he was compassionate about acting and wanted to make a career in acting. His father understood his emotions and advised him to study cinema by joining FTII (Film and Television Institute of India). Pankaj was delighted at his father’s support and applied for a form for FTII. Alas, he was rejected by FTII because he did not have the charming personality to become an actor! Disheartened he told the sad news to his father. His father suggested that he get himself admitted to NSD (National School of Drama), a bigger platform than FTII.

Pankaj Kapur faced much dejection in Bollywood Pankaj Kapur learned the nuances of acting by NSD’s ace guru Ebrahim Alkazi. Hence Pankaj was sure to make it big in Bollywood. However he did not receive any red carpet welcome, instead, Bollywood mocked his short height and his unconventional looks. Dejected Pankaj tried parallel cinema which was kind to him but it paid measly hence Pankaj had bad times for survival. Left with no choice he agreed to do a small role as Pyarelal (Mahatma Gandhi’s secretary) in Sir Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. When Bollywood rejected him, Pankaj did a few art films like Aadharshila, Arohan, Mandi, Khandhar, and Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho! Among this film, only Kundan Shah’s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro helped him gain some publicity. Pankaj Kapur became a star overnight with the TV serial Karamchand which was one of the most popular detective serials on air. Frustrated with his career going nowhere Pankaj Kapur started doing theatre and became a renowned name at Prithvi Theatre. Theatre enthusiasts began hailing him as the future Dilip Kumar and Naseeruddin Shah. It was here filmmaker Pankaj Parashar spotted him and offered him the TV serial Karamchand, India’s first ever detective serial on DD which made Pankaj Kapur a star overnight. But what is shocking is that Pankaj Kapur was not the original choice for Karamchand. So readers would wonder who was the original choice, well Doordarshan (DD) had signed Pankaj Parashar and asked to make a pilot film with actor Aloknath as Karamchand but some dispute erupted between Aloknath and Pankaj Parashar hence Pankaj Parashar kicked Aloknath out and brought Pankaj Kapur. For the first few weeks, Karamchand did not receive good reception but soon it became the talk of the town. As the carrot-chewing detective, Pankaj Kapur became a household name in India. The serial became such a hit that after completing 13 episodes, it won an extension of another 13 weeks. Later Pankaj Parashar quit the serial as he got busy with his film Jalwa but DD received over 10,000 letters to continue Karamchand. Thus on public demand, the serial got another extension!! To date, the serial is remembered for its brilliant performance by Pankaj Kapur and fast-paced and edge-of-the-seat direction by Pankaj Parashar! Pankaj Kapur became a name to reckon on TV After the mega success of the Karamchand (1985–1988) Pankaj Kapur became a name to reckon on TV. He did a chain of successful TV serials like Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne (1989-1990); Zabaan Sambhalke (1993); Neem ka Ped (1991); Mohandas B.A.L.L.B.; Discovery Of India etc. However, the TV serial that made Pankaj Kapur immortal was that of Musaddilal, the common man who confronts corruption at multiple government offices in Rajiv Mehra’s super hit TV serial Office Office (2000). The serial was so hit that it was re-launched as Naya Office Office and was even made into a Bollywood film starring the same team with Pankaj Kapur in the lead. Pankaj Kapur won the Indian Telly Award consecutively for Best Actor in a Comic Role in Office Office for the years 2002 and 2003 respectively. Pankaj Kapur came on the horizon with 3 National Awards on the one hand, Pankaj Kapur made a name on TV doing a variety of roles on the other hand he did challenging roles in parallel cinema. Pankaj Kapur drew attention when he won his first National award as Best Supporting Actor in Aamir Khan’s film Raakh (1989). The film also fetched a Filmfare nomination. Two years later Pankaj Kapur made headlines for his sensitive portrayal of Dr. Dipankar Roy in Tapan Sinha’s highly acclaimed film Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1990). The film won the Best Film National Award and Pankaj Kapur won the Special Jury National Award for his dynamic act. Pankaj Kapur won his third National Award with Vishal Bhardwaj's film Maqbool. He also won the Filmfare Award Critics Award for Best Actor in Maqbool. Some of his sensitive performances in parallel cinema include Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986), Main Zinda Hoon (1988), The Blue Umbrella (2005), Dharm (2007), Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013) etc. Besides parallel cinema, Bollywood had booted out Pankaj Kapur for his ugly look too came up with some tailor-made role for him, which he did with good filmmakers like Basu Chatterjee’s Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986), Pankaj Parashar's Jalwa (1987), Mani Ratnam’s Roja (1992), Rajkumar Santoshi’s Halla Bol (2008), Vishal Bhardwaj’s Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013), Anubhav Sinha’s Dus (2005) In fact in Dus, Pankaj Kapur played the lead villain and won Best Actor National Award by Journalist Association of India and Filmfare Best Villain nomination for Dus