2016-11-03 Thu

Prithviraj Kapoor, the founder of the “Kapoor Khandaan” of the Indian Cinema, pioneer of the Hindi film industry and the founder of one of the most eminent theatres in India the “Prithvi Theatres”, was born today on 3th November 1906.

Today he is remembered as one of the most celebrated actors in the Indian film. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1969 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1971 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

He started his career as an actor in the silent era of Hindi cinema by acting as an extra in few initial films and later as a lead. He is most acclaimed for his role as Alexander the Great in the movie “Sikander”. He was a great theatre artist and continued to play on the stage. He some eminent roles in the Hindi film industry and some of his most unforgettables include his roles in "Mughal E Azam", "Harishchandra Taramati", "Sikandar-e-Azam", and "Kal Aaj Aur Kal".

To mark the golden Jubilee of Prithvi Theatre, India Post issued a special INR 2 postage stamp in 1996, featuring the logo of Prithvi Theatre from 1945-1995 along with the portrait of Prithviraj Kapoor.

Later in 2013 the series of commemorative stamps were issued by India Post to celebrate the 100 years of Indian cinema. One INR 5 stamp from that series depicts this legend of the Hindi Film industry.