Anil Kapoor was known for doing commercial cinema, and we love him for his roles in popular films like Mr. India, Ram Lakhan and Beta. That said, he is one of the most versatile actors of his generation who could pull off almost every kind of role. Yes, his dancing skills could be questioned but then every rose has its thorn, and Kapoor’s no different.
In his career, he has tried his hand at some path-breaking movies that have stood the test of time. They can still be seen and appreciated, so do buy a DVD or stream them online – whatever floats your boat. Kapoor still believes that his success as a star has more to do with the characters that were written for him, rather than his own charisma. We think he’s being too humble, but still, let’s take a look at some of his most daring performances.
Talking about his versatility, Kapoor said in an interview with Hindu, “If I continued playing romantic hero and kept running around trees, I would have been rejected.”
Lamhe
Widely regarded as Yash Chopra’s finest romantic film (and that’s saying something), Lamhe saw the superhit jodi of Anil Kapoor and Sri Devi bring their A-Game. The film won numerous accolades and awards including the Best Picture and Best Actress at the 37th Filmfare Awards. It didn’t do too well commercially in India, but was a big hit overseas.
Viraasat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyMVpsnCilw
“In Viraasat, I come from abroad to India with my girlfriend. And I want to show her my village, make her meet my parents and my friends,” Anil Kapoor said in an interview. The film won Kapoor the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics), and the story was conceptualized by none other than the legendary Kamal Haasan.
Taal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M9_VszrOLA
Even though, Anil Kapoor was a supporting actor in the film, his role was extremely memorable. It was one where he lets Aishwarya Rai choose Akshaye Khanna (after seeing that Aishwarya actually loved Akshaye even though she was choosing to marry him) over him in the climax. The film saw Kapoor win multiple awards in the Best Supporting Actor category.
Nayak
A cult classic, Nayak is the story of a journalist who becomes a chief minister for a day and changes a lot of things overnight. It’s very likely that you’ve seen the film considering it’s shown so often on TV, and is one of those legendary films you can watch over and over again.
Pukar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBzunH-6zyQ
“I am playing an Army para-commander (Major Jaidev Rajvansh) for the first time in my career. It is one of the most exciting roles that I’ve ever done,” Anil Kapoor said in an interview with Rediff. “Pukar is a film every Indian anywhere in the world should be proud of,” he added.
