Anil Kapoor has often spoken candidly of the profound influence of his father, Surinder Kapoorabout his life and career options. While his father was a producer, Anil’s journey has not been easy. He had to fight to pave the way for himself and he has also seen his father’s struggles. This played a key role in shaping his ambition to succeed on his own merit and achieve what his father could not.The ‘Mr India’ actor fondly remembered his father as a man defined more by his character than by his professional success. Speaking to Lilly Singh, she said, “My father was a great guy, he was very, very humble, very honest, very honest. He came to Mumbai, I think, in the late 50s or early 60s, I’m not sure. Later he was an assistant to K. Asif, and then a director of an actor. Wherever I went in this film fraternity, people always told me what a good man he was, what a kind man he was, how honest he was. It wasn’t how successful he was, you know. First of all, they always talked about what a terrible human being he was. So that was my father.”He also paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Nirmal Kapoor, recalling her warmth and influence in the film community. “My mother was known to be the best cook in this film fraternity. It’s like folklore, the food cooked by Mrs. Sunil Kapoor, or Anil’s mother, or Sonam’s grandmother. Her food was legendary. We used to stay in Chembur, near RK studios. It didn’t matter who was shooting, the cook was an elderly woman from my house. Anyone who needed advice in this industry, whether it was marriage, having children or anything else, she was really like a mother to everyone around us: family, friends, everyone.’Despite being a producer with industry connections, Surinder Kapoor made it clear that he would not give his son an easy path. Anil recalled, “So when I told him I wanted to be an actor, he said, ‘Okay, go ahead. But I can’t make you a film. You’ll have to find work for yourself.’Anil started pursuing his acting ambitions from a young age, especially during a difficult phase for his family. “I started my career at a very young age, around 18 or 19, I think before I finished school, my father was not well. He had a heart attack. He was a film producer, and it was difficult at that time to get leading men and actors for his films. That’s why I said to him: ‘I have to become an actor. I have to become a leading man’. And that’s when I really started to take my career seriously. At the time, I couldn’t give myself time to process my feelings because I was constantly trying to build a career, become an actor, get a job, get a job. I was always trying to find a job.”One particularly poignant memory that took hold of him involved a film produced by his father Rajesh Khanna. Despite high expectations, the film failed commercially, revealing the harsh realities of the industry. Anil shared, “I remember one of his films was released, and it starred one of the biggest superstars, Rajesh Khanna. Everyone expected it to be a huge hit, but it was a huge failure. And I remember how they all changed after a few hours.’He went on to describe the emotional impact he had on his father: “He was traveling from Delhi, because the films were released in different states at different times, not at the same time. So he went to Bangalore, and there was no one to meet him at the airport. Everyone completely abandoned him, refused him. It was amazing. And that was the first time I came back, I saw him like that. I was crying, I saw that he was very vulnerable, almost in tears.“That moment left a lasting impression. “That visual has always stayed in my head. And that’s one of the reasons, seeing my father go through that, I’ve always wanted to be a hero, a protagonist, an actor.”
