Anil Kapoor Says Bollywood Abandoned His Father After Rajesh Khanna Film Flopped

Veteran actor Anil Kapoor has opened up about a painful chapter from his family’s past, revealing how the Hindi film industry allegedly distanced itself from his father, producer Surinder Kapoor, after one of his films starring superstar Rajesh Khanna failed at the box office.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Lilly Singh, Anil Kapoor shared emotional details about how his father, Surinder Kapoor, once faced isolation and professional rejection following the film’s commercial failure. He said the incident left a deep psychological impact on him and played a major role in shaping his decision to pursue acting.

According to Anil Kapoor, his father had built a reputation in the industry as a sincere and well-respected producer. However, after suffering a setback in his career, particularly following a high-profile project with Rajesh Khanna that did not perform well, he experienced a sudden shift in how people treated him within the film fraternity.

Anil recalled a particularly distressing moment when his father travelled to Bengaluru for a film promotion and found that no industry colleagues had come to receive him at the airport. He described this as a turning point, saying it was the first time he saw his father emotionally broken and visibly shaken by the experience.

“Everybody changed within hours,” he said, recalling how quickly support disappeared after the film’s failure. He added that his father felt abandoned by the industry he had worked in for years, leaving him in a vulnerable emotional state.

The actor said witnessing his father in tears after returning home left a lasting impression on him and became a defining moment in his life. It motivated him to pursue a career in cinema with greater determination, eventually leading him to become one of Bollywood’s most recognizable leading actors.

Surinder Kapoor, who started his journey in the film industry in the late 1950s, worked as an assistant and later established himself as a producer. He was known for his long association with Hindi cinema before his death in 2011.

Anil Kapoor’s career began with a small role in 1979 film Hamare Tumhare, and he went on to achieve widespread fame in the 1980s with films such as Woh Saat Din. Over the decades, he has remained a prominent figure in Indian cinema, transitioning successfully between mainstream Bollywood and international projects.

He is currently set to appear in Yash Raj Films’ upcoming spy action thriller Alpha, which also stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh.

The actor’s comments have sparked renewed discussion about the volatile nature of the film industry, where commercial success often determines professional relationships and long-term support networks.

Courtesy: ET