Shekhar Kapur
The director of Masoom, Mr. India, Bandit Queen and Elizabeth, who took Indian filmmaking to world audiences, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.
Shekhar Kapur is one of the few Indian directors to have made a mark in both Bollywood and Hollywood. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Bhushan in the field of art, from Maharashtra [1].
From accountant to director
Kapur was born on 6 December 1945 in Lahore [2]. He studied economics at St Stephen’s College and qualified as a chartered accountant in Britain before turning to film [2].
His first film, the family drama Masoom (1983), won five Filmfare awards [2]. Mr. India, a science-fiction adventure, is counted by many critics among the greatest Indian films [2]. Bandit Queen premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994 and won international acclaim [2].
A global career
His film Elizabeth and its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe and were nominated for Academy Awards [2]. He also directed The Four Feathers and worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the stage musical Bombay Dreams, with music by A.R. Rahman [2].
He has chaired the Film and Television Institute of India and directed the International Film Festival of India [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for Shekhar Kapur — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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