Kunal Kapoor (ad Director)

Kunal Kapoor (ad Director) Biography

Kunal Kapoor was a former actor of Bollywood, now better known as an ad director. He set up Adfilm-Valas in 1987, which is one of the leading ad producing companies at present. He is a descendant of the most celebrated Kapoor family of Bollywood. He is the son of Pritviraj Kapoor’s younger son and dashing hero of yesterdays, Shashi Kapoor and theatre cum film artist, Jennifer Kendal. His brother Karan Kapoor is known as the best model of textile brand, Bombay Dyeing and Kunal was the director who shot those popular ads for magazine and television during late 1980’s. His paternal uncles are Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor. Similar to Shammi kapoor’s son, Kunal’s career too didn’t pick up though his debut Bollywood movie as a hero, Ahista Ahista opposite Padmini Kolhapure was a hit.

Kunal started his career acting in his father’s movies like Sidhartha and Junoon. As a hero, his debut movie was Ahista Ahista released in 1981. He has also appeared in Shashi Kapoor-Rekha starrer Utsav and Vijeta. But as an actor, his career was not successful and he turned to theatre and ad film making. Now Kunal is one among the trustees of Prithviraj Kapoor Memorial Trust and Research Foundation, which owns and runs Prithvi Theatre in Juhu, Mumbai When the renovated Pritviraj theatre was fully managed by his sister Sanjna Kapoor (who also failed in Bollywood), he concentrated on Ad Film making.

In 1987, Kunal set up his own company, Adfilm-Valas. Dream Lover series of ads for Bombay Dyeing with his brother Karan Kapoor as the model was his first successful assignment. Now he is one of the leading ad film makers of India and has done more than 800 ads till now. Their popular brands include cars and almost all leading ads on cars are made by Adfilm-Valas. It has also line-produced for many international feature films and ad films shot in India.

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Updated: January 23, 2014