From exporting mangoes in Hong Kong to earning fame with Rang De Basanti, Kunal Kapoor's journey is one of resilience, talent, and reinvention.
Actor Kunal Kapoor, who began his career as a model, is a well-known face in the industry. He is a prominent figure in the world of web series and modeling. He will celebrate his 48th birthday on Saturday. Few people know that Kunal Kapoor is related to Amitabh Bachchan's family, which is a part of his own. Born on October 18, 1975, in Mumbai, he comes from a Punjabi family. The actor received his early education in Mumbai, but later moved to Hong Kong to earn money. In an interview, Kunal Kapoor revealed that to escape poverty, he started exporting mangoes to Hong Kong, but he was forced to do so. From the beginning, his primary goal was to enter films. As soon as he got the opportunity, he left his job and returned to Mumbai.
Kunal Kapoor began his film career as an assistant director on the film "Aks" and later studied theatre under actor Naseeruddin Shah to hone his acting skills. He got his first break in the film "Meenakshi," in which he appeared alongside actress Tabu. However, he gained real recognition with "Rang De Basanti," in which he shared the screen with Aamir Khan. Kunal's performance in the film received critical acclaim, earning him a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
"Rang De Basanti" changed Kunal's life, and he signed back-to-back films with major banner Yash Raj Films, including "Bachna Ae Haseeno," "Chunri Mein Daag," and "Aaja Nachle." In all three films, the actor played supporting roles and performed poorly at the box office. However, Kunal stayed away from the screen for a few years before returning alongside Sanjay Dutt. He starred in films like "Welcome to Sajjanpur" and "Hatrick," and won several awards.
Kunal received the Jury Award for his outstanding performance in "Rang De Basanti," the Zoom Glam Award for Best Debut Actor in 2006, the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film "Veeram" in 2007, and the Best Debut Series Actor (The Umpire) award in 2022. Kunal was recently seen in the series "Jewel Thief" alongside Saif Ali Khan, playing a police officer.