Anil Kapoor congratulates ‘Mr India’ director Shekhar Kapur for Padma Bhushan honour

Shekhar Kapur
| Photo Credit: PTI

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has been awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours, as part of the Padma Awards 2025. The announcement was made on the eve of Republic Day, and the film industry was quick to shower Kapur with congratulatory messages, acknowledging his remarkable contributions to cinema.

Reacting to the news, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor took to his Instagram to congratulate Shekhar Kapur. In his message, Kapoor shared nostalgic throwback photos from the sets of the iconic 1987 film Mr. India, where the two, along with the late Sridevi, had worked together.

A screengrab of Anil Kapoor’s Instagram Stories

Shekhar Kapur is widely celebrated for his diverse and impactful films, including Bandit Queen, the British biographical drama Elizabeth, and its critically acclaimed sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), which earned Cate Blanchett an Academy Award nomination. His work continues to resonate globally, with The Four Feathers (2002), a film starring Heath Ledger, marking another milestone in his illustrious career.

Despite his global recognition, Kapur’s roots in Indian cinema remain strong. His films Masoom (1983) and Mr. India are still beloved by audiences. He is currently working on a sequel to Masoom, titled Masoom 2, which features a fresh storyline while staying true to the heart of the original. The film is set to include an ensemble cast, including Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpayee, and his daughter Kaveri, among others.

In an amusing anecdote, Kapur shared a moment of fate while travelling, recalling how he once forgot the Masoom 2 script on a plane. “I was travelling from Dubai to Delhi, and I realized I had left the Masoom 2 script on the plane seat. But I got it back, and a flight attendant wrote me a note saying that Masoom was a very good film, and this one would be just as good. So, see, it came back even after being left behind—there must be something to it. It’s destiny,” he said during a conversation with ANI.