This National Award-winning actor’s family faced severe financial hardship. They were extremely poor, which forced him to discontinue his studies. His name is…
Published: September 11, 2025 4:33 PM IST
This actor is now regarded as one of the most influential performers in Bollywood and has even won a National Film Award. However, he had to endure immense struggles in both his career and personal life. He experienced such extreme poverty that he once had to sell tea and lottery tickets to make ends meet. But he didn’t just overcome poverty; he went on to build a luxurious life for himself and his family. Interestingly, his name was originally Anil Kapoor, but after entering the film industry, he changed it, as there was already a well-known actor with the same name.
The name of this actor is Annu Kapoor. He was born in 1956 and moved to Mumbai in 1982. His father was Punjabi, and his mother was a Bengali Brahmin and a scholar of Urdu. Annu Kapoor’s father owned a Parsi theatre company, while his mother was an Urdu teacher and well-versed in classical singing. His grandfather, Kripa Ram Kapoor, was a doctor in the British Army, and his great-grandfather, Lala Ganga Ram Kapoor, was a revolutionary who was hanged during the Indian freedom struggle.
Annu Kapoor Had to Leave His Studies Due to Poverty
Annu Kapoor’s family faced severe financial hardship. They were extremely poor, which forced him to discontinue his studies. His mother was a teacher but earned only Rs 40 a month. At his father’s insistence, Annu Kapoor joined his theatre company and later went on to join the National School of Drama. He recently spoke about his days of poverty and struggle in an interview with TV9 Bharatvarsh.
Annu Kapoor Reflects on His Poverty Days
Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor said, “I sold tea, but I don’t want to glorify my poverty. I don’t consider it a matter of pride, nor do I see it as a deep sorrow in my life. It was simply a part of my life – a situation I had to face. When Annu Kapoor was asked to share more about his struggles so that today’s younger generation could draw inspiration, he said, “I’ve only sold tea, not the whole country. I’ve driven auto-rickshaws, sold churan and lottery tickets. I’ve also sold firecrackers. But whatever I’ve done in life, I’ve done it honestly and with the intention of earning a living.”
Annu Kapoor then spoke about his family background and his father. He said, “I was born in Bhopal, but my father left home in 1961. He had a theatre group, but at that time, society looked down upon people involved in theatre and cinema. So when my grandmother found out that my father was running a theatre group, she threw him out of the house.”
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