In the world of Hindi cinema, if anyone has won the hearts of people with his strong voice, excellent acting and simplicity, then it is Prithviraj Kapoor. Today, on the occasion of his birth anniversary, the entire film world is remembering him. Prithviraj Kapoor was not just an actor, but he was an artist who gave a new identity to Indian films. He started his career from theater and then made a big name in films with his hard work and skill.

The legacy of the Kapoor family was also started by Prithviraj Kapoor, who proved through his acting that the real artist is the one who adapts himself to every role. People still remember his style of speaking dialogues and presence on screen. If you also want to feel the real acting of that era, then definitely watch some of his best films on OTT.

Mughal-e-Azam
‘Mughal-e-Azam’ is one of the greatest films of Indian cinema. This film is directed by K. Asif and it was released in the year 1960. Prithviraj Kapoor played the powerful role of Emperor Akbar in the film. Dilip Kumar and Madhubala were in lead roles in the film. You can watch it on OTT platform Amazon Prime Video.

Rogue
‘Awara’ is a classic 1951 Indian film, directed by Raj Kapoor. Prithviraj Kapoor played the role of Justice Raghunath in the film. You can watch this film on Amazon Prime Video. Apart from Prithviraj Kapoor, Nargis and Raj Kapoor were in lead roles in the film.

yesterday today and tomorrow
‘Kal Aaj Aur Kal’ is a family film released in the year 1971, which was directed by Raj Kapoor. In this film, three generations of Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor worked together. This film can be seen on ZEE5.

Alam Ara
‘Alam Ara’ was released in the year 1931 and is considered to be India’s first talking film. It was directed by Ardeshir Irani. In ‘Alam Ara’, Prithviraj Kapoor played the role of a villain instead of a lead role, who was one of the main actors of the film. This film can be seen on YouTube.

Alexander
‘Sikander’ is a historical film released in the year 1941, in which Prithviraj Kapoor played the powerful role of Alexander the Great. You can enjoy this film on Amazon Prime Video.

That famous personality of Indian cinema and films, whose heavy voice and dialogue delivery made even the best actors pale in comparison. The story is of Prithviraj Kapoor, the owner of a powerful voice and tremendous acting ability, who further strengthened the cinema world with his acting.

Born on 3 November 1906 in Punjab, undivided India (present-day Faisalabad, Pakistan), Prithviraj Kapoor was fond of acting from a young age. When the educated and handsome young man reached the film city of Bombay (now Mumbai), he soon started playing the role of a hero after being a supporting actor.

Prithviraj Kapoor went from silent movie era to talking films

Even during the silent movie era, he left his mark and later on made one realize his capability through small acting. Prithviraj Kapoor started his acting career from theatre. Be it his first talking film ‘Alam Ara’ or films like ‘President’ with KL Sehgal or ‘Dushman’, Prithviraj Kapoor was always recognized for his unique style and powerful voice.

People who knew Prithviraj Kapoor used to call him ‘Papaji’, perhaps because he helped everyone and often spoke in favor of junior artists.

But there is also an incident in his life, when he used to stand outside the theater carrying a bag. Prithviraj Kapoor started Prithvi Theaters in 1944. As difficult as the journey to reach here was, there were more challenges in keeping the theater running, because Prithviraj had put everything at stake for Prithvi Theatre.

Prithviraj Kapoor used to stand holding the bag

The income was not enough to live properly. If there was some income, he would be engaged in theater work only.

The circumstances in front were as huge as a mountain and to survive in front of them, Prithviraj picked up the fakir’s bag. When people used to leave the theater after watching the show, Prithviraj himself would stand there carrying the bag. People leaving the show used to put some money in that bag. This story related to Prithviraj Kapoor is mentioned in newspapers.

Actor honored with many awards

Prithvi Theaters ran for 16 years till 1960. 2,662 shows were done in 5,982 days. Prithviraj Kapoor played the lead role in every single show, that is, on an average, one show every third day. However, it had to be closed in 1960 due to the ill health of Prithviraj Kapoor. Prithviraj Kapoor left this world on 29 May 1971.

Prithviraj Kapoor was posthumously awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the biggest award of Hindi cinema, in 1972 for his significant contribution to cinema and theatre. However, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1954 and 1956 and the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award from the Government of India in 1969.