Kunal Kapoor was born on 18 October, 1977 in Mumbai. He began his film career as an assistant director on Rakeysh Mehra’s debut feature Aks (2001). While he was initially drawn to directing, the time he spent in front of the camera doing sound and light tests on set sparked an interest in acting. He began training under renowned theatre actor Barry John and then went on to work with Naseeruddin Shah’s theatre group, Motley.

He made a rather unconventional acting debut with M F Husain’s controversial film Meenaxi: Tale of Three Cities (2004) in which he plays the role of Kameshwar Mathur. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival but was pulled from theatres a day after its release in India. It was not the ideal start to Kapoor’s career, but the film was critically acclaimed and he stood by his decision.

It was only with his second film, Rakeysh Mehra’s landmark feature Rang De Basanti (2006), that audiences got their first real glimpse of Kunal Kapoor. The film saw him in the roles of Aslam Khan and Ashfaqullah Khan, one of four friends whose portrayal of the revolutionaries of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association in a documentary leads them to a revolution of their own. The film was a sensational hit and finally announced Kapoor to Indian and global audiences. His chiselled features, curly locks and gentle demeanour made him an instant heartthrob. His performance also earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.

However, the success of Rang De Basanti (2006) soon waned as his next few films, including Hattrick (2007), Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007), and the much talked about comeback of Madhuri Dixit in Aaja Nachle (2007) failed to make an impact at the box office.

It wasn’t till Farhan Akhtar’s blockbuster Don 2 (2011) that Kapoor tasted success again. His pivotal role as the computer hacker Sameer Ali saw him sharing the screen with Shahrukh Khan for the first time. Following this, he took a step up by donning the lead role in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012). Kapoor’s quiet, winsome performance as Omi received positive reviews and gave him much-needed success at the box office. His last appearance was in the film The Maniac 2: The Hell is Back (2016).

Known to be extremely selective about the roles he chooses, Kunal Kapoor has only appeared in a handful of films. He is more regularly seen on TV in ads endorsing brands like Ray Ban, Kurkure and Mahindra Logan. Along with Gwyneth Paltrow, he is also the face of the Save the Children charity. In 2009, he penned a weekly column for HT City ending in November the same year.

In 2014, Kapoor announced his engagement to Naina Bachchan, the niece of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan.