This actor from the Kapoor family had more hits than even Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Ranbir Kapoor but is forgotten today
The Kapoor family has often been referred to as the first family of the Indian film industry. There are other film families with more stars, many with greater wealth, and some even with greater success in their respective industries. But none have had the longevity and impact that the Kapoors have had on Indian pop culture for over eight decades now. While most members of the Kapoor family are quite well known, there have been a few who have not received the kind of recognition others have. This is the story of a forgotten hero from the family.
The forgotten hero of Kapoor family
The Kapoor family’s entry into Bollywood was orchestrated by Prithviraj Kapoor, who began acting first in Lahore in early 1920s and then in Bombay in 1928. However, not many know that his younger brother Trilok Kapoor followed him in films in 1933. A 21-year-old Trilok made his debut as a lead in Char Darvesh, before co-starring with his brother in Seeta the same year. This was his first hit. In the 1930s and 40s, he was among the biggest names in Hindi cinema and was one of the highest paid stars, alongside KL Saigal, Ashok Kumar, Karan Dewan, and Prithviraj himself. In 1947, he established himself as arguably the top hero in the industry with the smash hit Mirza Sahiban opposite Noor Jehan.
How Trilok Kapoor gave more hits than Raj and Ranbir
While his run in the 1930s and 40s was enough to brand him a star, Trilok Kapoor was to see another successful phase of his career in the 50s. But that was the one that depleted his stardom despite success. After 1948, Trilok Kapoor transitioned to mythological films, appearing as Lord Shiva in a number of films. He was part of hits like Ramayan, Har Har Mahadev, Waman Avatar, and Shiv Parvati. All of these were low budget films that succeeded at the box office. This meant that over the course of his career, Trilok Kapoor starred in over 30 hits. This number is higher than Raj Kapoor (17) and Ranbir Kapoor (11). But given that many of these films were small in scale, Trilok Kapoor did not attain that stardom that his nephew and other members of the family did.
Trilok Kapoor’s later career
After the 1960s, Trilok Kapoor switched to character roles and cameos. He played small roles in hits like Jai Santoshi Maa, Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, Dostana, and Ganga Jamunaa Saraswati. He even appeared in RK Films’ Ram Teri Ganga Maili in a small role. Trilok Kapoor died in Mumbai in 1988 at the age of 76. His last film – Akanksha – was released posthumously and was directed by his son Vijay Kapoor.
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