Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kapoor Kendal's daughter, Sanjana Kapoor, failed in Bollywood, but in 2020, she was awarded the French honour of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters).
The Kapoor family is among the most well-known film families. The Kapoors are also called the first family of Indian cinema. Acting legend Prithviraj Kapoor was the first actor in the family. Since then, generations have carried the legacy forward, including his sons Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Shashi Kapoor, grandsons Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, and great-grandchildren, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, and Ranbir Kapoor. However, a few kids in the family couldn't succeed in films, and among them is Sanjana Kapoor.
Who is Sanjana Kapoor?
Sanjana Kapoor is the daughter of actors Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kapoor Kendal. Born on November 27, 1967, Sanjana is the youngest child of Shashi and Jennifer. Her brothers Kunal Kapoor (born in 1959), and Karan Kapoor (born in 1962), were also former actors, and even they failed as actors.
Sanjana Kapoor's Bollywood debut
Sanjana made her acting debut in 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), the film was produced by her father and starred her mother Jennifer Kendal in the lead. In Aparna Sen's film, Sanjana played the younger version of the character her mother played. 36 Chowringheee Lane tanked miserably at the box office. Three years later, Sanjana appeared in Utsav (1984), which was again produced by her father, just like her previous film, Utsav also flopped, and Sanjana went unnoticed. Sanjana got her first leading role in a Bollywood film opposite Nasseruddin Shah, Hero Hiralal (1989). Sanjana had high hopes for the film, but sadly this film went on to become an average grosser. In 1988, Sanjana appeared in Mira Nair's critically acclaimed film Salaam Bombay, and then she quit acting. Her last on-screen appearance was in A.K. Bir's Aranyaka (1994).
Sanjana's life after the films?
After facing failure in acting, she moved to TV and hosted the Amul India Show for three and a half years. Sanjana was still unsatisfied with her career, and thus, she decided to manage her family's heritage, the Prithvi Theatre (Juhu, Mumbai). Sanjana ran theatre workshops for children in Prithvi Theatre till 2011.
In 2011, Sanjana announced her decision to leave Prithvi Theatre and launched her theatre group, Junoon. Junoon was formed in 2012, and it was an arts-based organization which would work with travelling groups; staging plays at smaller venues across India.
Sanjana Kapoor's personal life
Sanjana Kapoor has been married twice. Her first husband was actor and director Aditya Bhattacharya (popular for Mandi and Raakh). Kapoor then married the tiger conservationist, Valmik Thapar, son of the journalist Romesh Thapar. Valmik is a nephew of JNU historian Romila Thapar (sister of Romesh Thapar). Sanjana and Valmik have a son together, Hamir Thapar. In 2020, Sanjna Kapoor was awarded the French honour of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) for her outstanding contribution to theatre.
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