Name: Anil Kapoor
Date of birth: 24 December, 1959
Place of birth: Chembur, Maharashtra, India
Profession: Actor, Producer

In 1982, director Ramesh Sippy had made the casting coup of the decade with his film Shakti. It was a film that would bring two screen giants together for the first time. Dilip Kumar would, it seem, officially hand over the baton of superstardom to his young student Amitabh Bachchan.

Yet the film's opening scene, which shows an old and frail looking Dilip Kumar with his daughter-in-law (played by the late Smita Patel) waiting at the train station, was to launch a new talent. Stepping off the train, a young, baby-faced man sporting a moustache with a slight stubble, barely 24 years of age and in his first major film with two giants of Hindi cinema, Anil Kapoor had finally arrived.

Director Ramesh Sippey had recognised a certain freshness about this kid, who had a cheeky smile yet at the same time a rawness about himself. But it wasn't until the following year when people really took notice of Kapoor's acting talent, when he played the lead role in Bapu's Woh Saat Din - a film that introduced him as a heartthrob to the nation. Sharing the screen with the great Naseerudin Shah, Kapoor had clearly taken this rare opportunity to learn about his trade from one of the greatest tradesman of them all. After receiving rave reviews for his sensational role in Woh Saat Din, Kapoor's following films performed averagely at the box-office until Subhash Ghai's epic Karma [in which he worked with Dilip Kumar again] and the following year in 1986 he delivered one the biggest hits of the decade with Shekhar Kapur's fantasy crime caper Mr India. The film would cement Kapoor's position in the film industry and would have him referred to as the 'Indian Superman'.

Appearing in an average of five films a year, Kapoor was the hottest property in Indian cinema, delivering a string of box-office hits at a time when Indian cinema was struggling and in desperate need of a new formula.

Though for Kapoor the hits continued to flow with films such as Subhash Ghai's Ram Lakhan (1989), Rakesh Roshan's Kishan Kanhaiya (1990), and Yash Chopra's Lamhe in 1991 (a film that would introduce Kapoor without his trademark moustache much to the shock of his loyal fans), the nineties saw a transitional period in the film industry as the action movie was replaced by the love story -a formula instigated by nineties superstars Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Critics predicted Kapoor's reign to be over but were proved wrong when he defied all the odds and acted the lead in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's magnum opus 1942 - A Love Story opposite leading actress Manisha Koirala and veteran British actor Brian Glover. Since his memorable role as Naren in Ghai's epic, Kapoor has continued to deliver award winning performances in movies such as Priyadarshan's Virasat (1997), Raj Kanwar's Judaai (1997), and Rajkumar Santoshi's political drama Pukar (1999) - one of the best performances of his career for which he received a National Award.

Today, Kapoor is recognised as one of the most naturally talented actors of his generation and with his latest release Armaan, Kapoor will share the screen for the first time with Amitabh Bachchan [their characters in Shakti never met].

Kapoor has now been a part of the Indian film industry for almost twenty-five years and continues to deliver box-office blockbusters year after year. Whether he is playing the invisible man in Mr India, a politician in Nayak or a devout father in Rishtey, Anil Kapoor is a great ambassador for the Indian film industry and a true actor on the world stage.

SELECTED FILMS AS AN ACTOR

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

FILMS SHOWING AT 'BITE THE MANGO' FILM FESTIVAL 2003

Armaan Dir: Honey Irani, India, 2003, tbc mins
Mr India Dir: Shekhar Kapur , India, 1987, 179 mins
Pukar Dir: Rajkumar Santoshi , India, 2000, 171 mins
1942 - A Love Story Dir: Vidhu Vinod Chopra , India, 1994, 157 mins
Virasat Dir: Priyadarshan, India, 1997, 164 mins
Screentalk: Anil Kapoor in Conversation

ANIL KAPOOR IN CONVERSATION WITH BITE THE MANGO

Bite the Mango is proud to welcome Indian actor Anil Kapoor to Bradford for the first time to talk about his career in the Indian film industry.

A part of the Bollywood firmament for over two decades, Kapoor continues to dominate the box-office to this day, whether wooing the ladies in Bapu's romance Woh Saat Din (Those Seven Days), saving the world against the evil Mogambo in Shekhar Kapur's fantasy classic Mr India or simply playing big brother in Anupam Kher's emotional drama Om Jai Jagadish, Kapoor's versatility as an actor is second to none.

Bite the Mango will be screening five of his films in recognition of his invaluable contribution to Indian cinema. Classics such as Mr India, 1942 - A Love Story, Virasat, Pukar and his latest appearance in Armaan, in which he shares the screen with the legendary Amitabh Bachchan for the first time, will be screened.

This is a chance in a lifetime to meet Anil Kapoor in person and an opportunity to meet one of India's favourite sons. Tickets are limited and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. This event is subject to last minute cancellation due to work commitments.

Information courtesy of Bite The Mango Film Festival.