Sanjana Kapoor
Encyclopedia
Sanjana Kapoor is an Indian theatre
personality and former Indian film actress, who has been running the Prithvi Theatre
in Mumbai
since 1993. till 2012 February.
in Juhu.
Even though she was the first woman in her family to act, her career was not successful. She made her acting debut in the 1981 film 36 Chowringhee Lane
which was produced by her father and starred her mother Jennifer Kendal in the lead. She played the younger version of the character her mother played. She later appeared in Utsav
(1984) also produced by her father and played her first leading role in a Bollywood
film titled Hero Hiralal
(1988) which was however unsuccessful at the box office.
She then appeared in Mira Nair
's critically acclaimed film Salaam Bombay in 1988 but has since quit acting in films, shifting her focus to theatre in the 1990s. She manages the Prithvi Theatre
in Juhu, Mumbai
and runs theatre workshops for children. She also hosted the Amul India Show on television for three and a half years.
In 2011, she announced her decision to leave Prithvi Theatre, and launch her own theatre company, Junoon in 2012, which would work with travelling groups staging plays at smaller venues across India.
and Shashi Kapoor
, and granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor
, who founded, Prithvi Theatres, as a travelling theatre company in 1944. Her maternal grandfather, Geoffrey Kendal
ran a travelling theatre company, "Shakespeareana". Her brothers Karan Kapoor
and Kunal Kapoor
are also actors/models. Her aunt is the actress Felicity Kendal
.
She is married to famous tiger conservationist, Valmik Thapar
and the couple have a son, Hamir.She was married to Aditya Bhattacharya
son of filmmaker Basu Bhattacharya
and Rinki Bhattacharya
who is daughter of noted filmmaker Bimal Roy
and herself a columnist and documentary filmmaker. She lives in Delhi and divides time between her work in Mumbai and home.
Theatre in India
The earliest form of the theatre of India was the Sanskrit theatre. It began after the development of Greek and Roman theatre and before the development of theatre in other parts of Asia...
personality and former Indian film actress, who has been running the Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres. It belongs to the Kapoor family, one of the most influential actor/director families in Bollywood. The theatre is named after Prithviraj Kapoor who first founded 'Prithvi Theatres', a travelling theatre company in 1944. The company ran for...
in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
since 1993. till 2012 February.
Biography
In her childhood, she attended the prestigious Bombay International School in Mumbai. She had a love for acting and frequented the Prithvi TheatrePrithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres. It belongs to the Kapoor family, one of the most influential actor/director families in Bollywood. The theatre is named after Prithviraj Kapoor who first founded 'Prithvi Theatres', a travelling theatre company in 1944. The company ran for...
in Juhu.
Even though she was the first woman in her family to act, her career was not successful. She made her acting debut in the 1981 film 36 Chowringhee Lane
36 Chowringhee Lane
36 Chowringee Lane is a 1981 film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor. The film was very well received upon release. It stars Jennifer Kendal in a critically acclaimed role and Debashree Roy.-Plot:...
which was produced by her father and starred her mother Jennifer Kendal in the lead. She played the younger version of the character her mother played. She later appeared in Utsav
Utsav
Utsav is a 1984 Hindi film, produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Girish Karnad.The film stars Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Amjad Khan, Anuradha Patel, Shekhar Suman, Anupam Kher, Shankar Nag, Neena Gupta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Annu Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor and Kunal Kapoor.The role played by Shashi...
(1984) also produced by her father and played her first leading role in a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film titled Hero Hiralal
Hero Hiralal
Hero Hiralal is a 1988 film directed by Ketan Mehta. It is a movie about an auto rickshaw driver who falls in love with a film actress.The movie had some good performances by the lead actors and by Saeed Jaffrey and Satish Shah in their supporting roles....
(1988) which was however unsuccessful at the box office.
She then appeared in Mira Nair
Mira Nair
Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! , won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination...
's critically acclaimed film Salaam Bombay in 1988 but has since quit acting in films, shifting her focus to theatre in the 1990s. She manages the Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres. It belongs to the Kapoor family, one of the most influential actor/director families in Bollywood. The theatre is named after Prithviraj Kapoor who first founded 'Prithvi Theatres', a travelling theatre company in 1944. The company ran for...
in Juhu, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and runs theatre workshops for children. She also hosted the Amul India Show on television for three and a half years.
In 2011, she announced her decision to leave Prithvi Theatre, and launch her own theatre company, Junoon in 2012, which would work with travelling groups staging plays at smaller venues across India.
Personal life
She is a member of the famous Bollywood family, the Kapoors. She is the daughter of Jennifer KendalJennifer Kendal
Jennifer Kapoor - born Jennifer Kendal - was a British actress who married Shashi Kapoor of the Kapoor family.-Childhood:Jennifer Kendal was born in Southport, England, but spent much of her youth in India...
and Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
, and granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor , 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was a pioneer of Indian theatre and of the Hindi film industry, who started his career as an actor, in the silent era of Hindi cinema, associated with IPTA and who founded Prithvi Theatres, a travelling theatre company based in Mumbai, in...
, who founded, Prithvi Theatres, as a travelling theatre company in 1944. Her maternal grandfather, Geoffrey Kendal
Geoffrey Kendal
Geoffrey Kendal was an English actor-manager.Born Richard Geoffrey Bragg in Kendal, Westmorland, he took the name of his place of birth as his surname. He married the actress Laura Liddell...
ran a travelling theatre company, "Shakespeareana". Her brothers Karan Kapoor
Karan Kapoor
Karan Kapoor, Indian actor and model of the 1980s, is a member of the famous Kapoor family, an influential film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema.-Career:...
and Kunal Kapoor
Kunal Kapoor (Kapoor family)
Kunal Kapoor is a former Indian film actor of British and Indian descent. He is the eldest son of Shashi Kapoor and late Jennifer Kendal. Not to be confused with the young Indian actor Kunal Kapoor who starred in Rang De Basanti and Hattrick....
are also actors/models. Her aunt is the actress Felicity Kendal
Felicity Kendal
Felicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
.
She is married to famous tiger conservationist, Valmik Thapar
Valmik Thapar
Valmik Thapar is an Indian natural historian and foremost among Tiger conservationists. He is the author of 14 books and several articles, and has produced a range of programmes for television...
and the couple have a son, Hamir.She was married to Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is an Indian film director and screenwriter, most known for his feature film, Raakh starring Aamir Khan, and which garnered three National Film Awards.He is the son of film director Basu Bhattacharya.-Early life:...
son of filmmaker Basu Bhattacharya
Basu Bhattacharya
Basu Bhattacharya was a Hindi film director , most famous for his 1966 film Teesri Kasam, starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman , which won the National Film Award for Best Film in 1967; he also produced Sparsh in 1985 starring Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, which won the Filmfare Best Movie...
and Rinki Bhattacharya
Rinki Bhattacharya
Rinki Bhattacharya is an Indian writer, columnist and documentary filmmaker. She is the Vice Chairperson of 'Children's Film Society of India' and the founder Chairperson of 'Bimal Roy Memorial & Film Society' -Biography:...
who is daughter of noted filmmaker Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy was one of the most acclaimed Indian film directors of all time. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema...
and herself a columnist and documentary filmmaker. She lives in Delhi and divides time between her work in Mumbai and home.