Prithviraj Kapoor was a pioneer of Indian theatre and of the Hindi film industry. He was also the patriarch of the Kapoor family of Hindi films, four generations of which family, beginning with him, have played active roles in Hindi film industry. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1969 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1971 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.
Background
Prithviraj was born at Samundri near the town of Lyallpur, Punjab (currently Faisalabad, Pakistan), then under British colonial rule. Prithviraj could speak English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Pashto and Hindko.
His father, Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, was a sub-inspector of police. His paternal grandfather, Dewan Keshavmal, was a powerful influence during his childhood.
Career
Prithviraj studied law as a graduate student for two years, but his heart was in the theatre. In 1928 with the help of a loan from his aunt, Prithviraj moved to the city of Bombay (present-day Mumbai) which is the center of the Hindi film industry, although he completed his Law, and obtained a degree, and practised Law.
He acted as an extra in his first film role, though he grew up to get a lead role for his third "Cinema Girl" in 1929. After featuring in nine silent films, Kapoor did a supporting role in India's first film talkie, "Alam Ara" (1931). His performance in "Vidyapati" (1937) was much appreciated. His best-known performance is perhaps as Alexander the Great in Sohrab Modi's "Sikandar" (1941). He also joined the only English theatrical company, called "J. Grant Anderson" which remained in India for a year. Through all these years, Prithviraj remained devoted to the theatre and performed on stage regularly. He developed a reputation as a very fine and versatile actor on both stage and screen.
By 1942 Prithviraj had the wherewithal and standing to found his own theatre group, Prithvi Theatres, whose première performance was, Kalidasa's "Shakuntala" in 1942. His eldest son, Raj Kapoor, by 1946, had already struck out on his own; the films he produced had been successful and this was also an enabling factor. Prithviraj invested in and founded Prithvi Theatres, a travelling troupe which staged memorable productions across India. The plays were highly influential and inspired young people to participate in the Nationalist Movement in India and the Quit India Movement. In over 16 years of existence, the theatre staged some 2,662 shows.
Many of the fine actors and technicians that Prithvi Theatres nurtured had found their way to the movies. Indeed, this was the case with all of Prithviraj's own sons. As Prithviraj progressed into his 50's, he gradually ceased theatre activities and accepted occasional offers from film-makers, including his own sons.He appeared with his son,Raj Kapoor in "Awara" (1951)as a stern judge who had thrown his own wife out of his house. Later, under his son, Shashi Kapoor, and his wife Jennifer Kendal, it merged with the Indian Shakespeare theatre company, "Shakespeareana", and the company got a permanent home, with the inauguration of the "Prithvi Theatre" in Mumbai 5 November 1978.
In 1996 the 'Golden Jubilee year' of the founding of Prithvi Theatre, India Post, issued a special two Rupee, 'commemorative' postage stamp in New Delhi.
His filmography of this period includes "Mughal E Azam" (1960) where he gave his most memorable performance as the Mughal emperor Akbar, "Harishchandra Taramati" (1963) where he played the lead role and unforgettable performances as Porus in "Sikandar-e-Azam" (1965) and the stentorian grandfather in "Kal Aaj Aur Kal" (1971) where he appeared with his son and grandson Randhir Kapoor.
Kapoor starred in the legendary religious Punjabi film "Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai" (1969), a film so revered in Punjab that there were lines many kilometers long to purchase tickets.
He also starred in the Punjabi films "Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar" (1970) and "Mele Mittran De" (1972).
He also acted in a Kannada movie "Sakshatkara" (1971) directed by legendary Kannada director Puttanna Kanagal. He acted as Rajkumar's father in that movie
Prithviraj was not only a great film personality, he was also a dedicated social worker. He collected money for Hindu and Sikh refugees who came from West Punjab and East Bengal who fled to India in 1947, but when right-wing Hindus wanted revenge from Muslims and threatened to drive them out of India, Prithviraj campaigned strictly and vigorously against it in the best traditions of Gandhian humanism. As a nominated member of the Indian upper house of parliament, the Rajya Sabha, Prithviraj pioneered a bill for the abolition of the Death Penalty and Food safety. He also donated money for the victims of the 1943 Bengal Famine by doing many plays, and donating the money earned from those plays for the needy in Bengal, and the nearby area. He was chosen by the then Prime Minister Pandit Nehru twice to go to China for the Indo-China peace-making programme. Prithviraj became a Godfather for hundreds of people he came across who needed help financially or psychologically. He himself worked for them and did odd jobs for the poor. In Calcutta, a story goes that once Prithviraj saw a very old man sweeping the street, and he was being beaten with a 'beint' (local name for a leather strap in Hindi) by a British Municipal officer. Prithviraj was helpless, and after that day, as long as he lived in Calcutta, he swept the street for the old man. It is famously known that Prithviraj was the highest paid actor in the 1940s till the mid-1950s, he was paid Rs.1,11,110. But, it is a lesser known fact that he donated half of the salary to the needy, and kept the other half with himself, and invested in theatre.