Kapoors: The numero uno Bollywood family

The Kapoor clan or the Kapoor khandaan is in many ways the numero uno family of the Hindi film industry. The family and the extended family have several actors, directors, producers and so on.

From the silent era to black and white, colour, Eastmancolor and digital, the family has seen nearly 90 years of the Hindi film industry, popularly called Bollywood.

The family has its origins in Lyallpur, now in the Faisalabad district of Pakistan.

Son of a police officer from Peshawar, the tall and handsome Prithviraj Kapoor started as an actor during the silent era. He started acting as an extra in Imperial Films Company. He later founded Prithvi Theatres in 1944. Among his best admired performances was the portrayal of Alexander the Great in Sohrab Modi's Sikandar. He was into both stage and screen. His brother Trilok Kapoor was also an actor.

Three of Prithviraj Kapoor's sons, the legendary showman Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, went on to become top actors of their times.

Raj Kapoor's son are Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor, all into films. Randhir's daughter's Karishma and Kareena were also into acting. Rishi Kapoor's son Ranbir Kapoor is among the top actors now.

Shashi Kapoor's sons are former actors Kunal Kapoor and Karan Kapoor and daughter is Sanjana Kapoor. She is married to environmentalist Valmik Thapar, nephew of historian Romila Thapar.

Randhir Kapoor's daughter Kareena Kapoor is married to Saif Ali Khan, the 10th Nawab of Pataudi and son of legendary cricketer MAK Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore, who is related the family of Nobel laureate and poet Rabindranath Tagore. She is also related to Devika Rani, who married Himashu Rai, the founder of Bombay Talkies.

The Bachchan family is also related to the Kapoors. In fact, Amitabh Bachchan's daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda is married to Nikhil Nanda, son of Ritu Nanda, the daughter of Raj Kapoor.

Surinder Kapoor, the father of brothers Boney Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor, was a cousin of Prithviraj Kapoor.

Anil Kapoor's daughters Sonam Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor and son Harshavardhan Kapoor are also actors. Top actor Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, Jhanvi Kapoor and Mohit Kapoor are cousins.

Three members of the Kapoor family – Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor – are recipients of the Dadasaheb Phalke awards and adding Amitabh Bachchan, it is four.