Rajat Kapoor

Biography:

Rajat Kapoor is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and playwright known for his contributions to Hindi cinema. His mainstream breakthrough came in 2001 with a role in “Dil Chahta Hai,” starring alongside Aamir Khan and Preity Zinta. He gained international recognition for his performance in Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” as an abusive uncle. Since then, Kapoor has been involved in writing, directing, and acting in numerous films, including “Corporate,” “Bheja Fry,” and portraying Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the UK television film “The Last Days of the Raj” (2007).

Starting in Parallel Cinema, Kapoor made his debut in the 1989 film “Khayal Gatha.” Facing difficulties finding acting jobs in the 1990s, he began writing and directing shorts, eventually making his full-length directorial debut with “Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One” (1997), featuring Irrfan Khan and Naseeruddin Shah in minor roles.

In 2003, he wrote and directed the independent film “Raghu Romeo,” financed through email requests to friends. Despite not being a commercial success, the film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Kapoor also directed and starred in “Mixed Doubles” (2006), exploring swinging culture in contemporary Mumbai. His sleeper hit “Mithya” (2008) earned him critical acclaim, and he was nominated for Best Actor at the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards for “Siddharth: The Prisoner.”

In 2010, Kapoor starred in the Bengali film “Iti Mrinalini” opposite Konkona Sen, directed by Aparna Sen. He often collaborates with actors Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey. Beyond films, Kapoor hosts the chat show “Lounge” on NDTV Good Times and has appeared in television shows like “Rishtey” on Zee TV.

In October 2018, Kapoor faced allegations of sexual harassment during the Me Too movement, for which he apologized. His film “Kadakh” was dropped from the 20th MAMI Film Festival due to these allegations.

Born on February 11, 1961, in Delhi, Kapoor initially focused on acting, joining the theatre group Chingari in Delhi in 1983. He later attended the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. Kapoor married Meenal Agarwal, a photographer-production designer, in 1996, and they have two children.