Today we remember the death anniversary of Prithviraj Kapoor, an inspiring actor of the early Indian theatre and of the Hindi film industry. He started his career as an actor when the Hindi cinema was a silent journey. He was the head of the Kapoor family, leading five generations after him to join the film industry.

Even though it's been 40 years that the actor has passed away, we still remember the great work he has created and entertained us with. He started his acting career in the movie 'Alam Ara', then moved on to 'Vidyapati' where he was very much appreciated. 'Sikandar' a movie by Sohrab Modi defined him as the best performer as Alexander the Great. He was also a part of an English theatrical company called 'J. Grant Anderson' which was in India for about a year. He starred in 'Mughal-E-Azam', as Mughal emperor Akbar giving his best performance; in 'Sikandar-E-Azam' he played the lead role and an unforgettable performance as Porus and in 'Kal Aaj Aur Kal' he played the stentorian grandfather where he appeared with his grandson Randhir Kapoor.

He also starred in the legendary religious Punjabi film 'Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai' which was a great movie in Punjab. He also starred in Punjab films like 'Nanak Dukhiye Sub Sansar' and 'Mele Mittran De'.

Prithviraj also invested in and founded Prithvi Theatres, a travelling troupe that staged memorable productions across India. In over 16 years of existence, the theatre staged some 2, 662 shows. Prithviraj starred as a lead actor in every single show.

The famous actor was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, and in 1969 the Padma Bhushan by the government of India.  He remained a nominated Rajya Sabha Member for eight years . After his death in 1972, he was posthumously awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 1971. He was the third recipient of that award, the highest acolade in Indian cinema. Fighting cancer in his declining years, Prithviraj Kapoor passed away on 29th May, 1972 at the age of 65.

Through all these years we still call to mind the 'Pioneer' of the entertainment industry.

FridayMoviez will continue to remember the actor's past achievements all through the present and future.