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We know Old Hollywood — now it's time to talk Old Bollywood.
This was seen as a sharp departure from the "romantic hero" and romance films dominant in Bollywood at the time. In other words, he dared to be different.
He has earned four National Film Awards and 16 Filmfare Awards for his work. Today, his son, Abhishek Bachchan, is a prominent Bollywood actor and his daughter-in-law is Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Kapoor's films — which he acted in, directed, and produced — are popular throughout Asia and Europe. He's one of the most prominent members of the Kapoor family, aka "the first family of Indian cinema" (with five generations and almost 100 years in the film industry!).
His son Rishi Kapoor was famous throughout the '70s, and older granddaughter Karisma Kapoor was famous through the '90s. His grandson Ranbir Kapoor and younger granddaughter Kareena Kapoor are two of the biggest superstars in Bollywood today. Another one of his grandsons married Amitabh Bachchan's daughter! The connections are all over the place 😂.
Her poise and doe eyes were often pointed out by media. One of her most iconic films is Sangam (1964), which also starred our very own Raj Kapoor!
At the time, Sangam was the first Indian film shot in Europe, the longest-running film in India, the first-ever film to have two intervals, and considered Bollywood's greatest love triangle. We stan an actress with so many firsts!
Interesting fact: Nargis was friends with Madhubala and helped prepare Madhubala's body for her funeral 😔. She herself died of pancreatic cancer just three days before her son Sanjay Dutt made his acting debut.
Today, Sanjay Dutt is also a well-known name in the industry!
She is also known for her work ethic. Early in her career, she was criticized heavily for her looks. Determined to prove the industry wrong, Rekha underwent a stunning transformation, honing her acting technique and her appearance, to then emerge in the '80s as one of the most coveted screen personalities of the era.
This ability of hers to successfully reinvent herself at different points in her career is well-noted!
She has won two National Film Awards. Her son is Saif Ali Khan, one of the most prominent Bollywood actors today, and her granddaughter (Saif Ali Khan's daughter) is Sara Ali Khan, who made her film debut in 2018.
She's also related to Rabindranath Tagore, the writer who heavily reformed Bengali literature and music!
Contemporary actors have said this kind of craze remains unmatched by even the biggest stars today. His co-stars, including Sharmila Tagore, have spoken about how fans would kiss his car and how he needed police protection in public!
He starred in 15 consecutive hits from 1969 to 1971, a record that remains unbroken. After his death in 2012, he was honored with a statue. His son-in-law is Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar.
Kumar's career spanned five decades. He has been called an influence by almost every Bollywood actor, from Amitabh Bachchan in the classic era to Shah Rukh Khan in the present.
Throughout his career, he was most often paired with Vyjayanthimala because the two had great chemistry! He also starred as the prince opposite Madhubala in milestone film Mughal-e-Azam (1960).
Her performance in 1963 film Bandini is regarded as one of the finest performances in the history of Indian cinema, and her character is considered one of Bollywood's strongest female characters!
She held the record of five wins of the Best Actress Filmfare Award for over 30 years(!). Her record was broken by her own niece, Kajol, one of the biggest Bollywood stars today.
Nutan also holds the title for oldest recipient of the Best Actress Filmfare Award (she was 42) and is the only actress of her generation who took on leading roles in her 40s with success. Google commemorated her in 2018 with a Doodle. Today, her son, Mohnish Bahl, is an actor as well.
She's also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. Today, she supports many social causes, such as animal rights.
Yep, he's the lucky guy married to Bollywood's Dream Girl! His most successful pairing was with her, and they starred in countless films together until they finally got married.
Today, his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol (from a previous marriage before Malini), are well-known Bollywood actors.
Apparently, even Dilip Kumar would get nervous in front of her! She made history at the 10th Filmfare Awards (1963) where she received all three Best Actress nominations (and won, too!).
In a turn eerily similar to Madhubala, Kumari died at the height of her stardom at age 38 from liver cirrhosis after suffering for four years. Her tragic life often draws comparisons to Marilyn Monroe. Many of today's stars have stated that while there may be great actresses, there will never be another Meena Kumari.
Yep, he's the one who gave the industry four generations of amazing, influential actors (two generations of which are still active today). He's where it all started!
Later in life, he played the domineering emperor in Mughal-e-Azam (1960), alongside Dilip Kumar and Madhubala. Though he isn't the most popular member of the Kapoor fam, he's certainly the most important for laying down the roots!
Fun fact: he had proposed marriage to Mumtaz after they became close while filming a movie together, but she politely refused because he wanted her to give up her film career.
She ran a production studio with her husband, with which she launched then-newcomers (and future legends) Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Madhubala!
Rani is also called the "Dragon Lady" because she was spunky, and, in general, a rulebreaker — as in, her attire was considered "risque," she had a hot temper, she eloped with someone else while married, and then after her husband's death, she retired and randomly married a Russian painter. Can you imagine all that in a hyper-conservative Indian society? Like, she literally did not give a damn. Love it!