Nil Kapoor made his Hindi cinema debut with Hamare Tumhare of Umesh Mehra in a small role. He then starred in the 1980 Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham directed by veteran Bapu. The same year he appeared in two other Hindi films - Ek Baar Kaho and Hum Paanch.
In 1981, he appeared in Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya of Mr. Sathyu . After playing a small role in Shakti, he made his Kannada debut with Pallavi Anu Pallavi by Mani Ratnam. He played his first lead role of Hindi film in Woh Saat Din which was directed by Bapu and featured Padmini Kolhapure and Naseeruddin Shah. . He gained recognition in Bollywood with Yash Chopra's drama Mashaal as Tapori, for which he won his first Filmfare Award in Best Supporting Actress.
His character of Tapori and his stubble look were considered unconventional at the time, but would become fashionable in India many years later . Kapoor's 1985 versions included Yudh and Saaheb. Yudh introduced it by uttering his iconic line "Ek Dum Jhakaas". But it was Meri Jung , in which he played the role of an angry young lawyer fighting for justice, which earned him his first nomination for Best Actor in Filmfare. So all of Anil's films in 1985 were noticed and loved and he had really arrived in the industry.
Anil Kapoor once again played a comic Tapori in Karma , the biggest hit of the year. Also in 1986, Kapoor played the role of a carefree playboy in the hit Janbaaz, with Feroz Khan. Kapah's other 1986 release Insaaf Ki Awaaz with Rekha was a box-office success. The same year, Basu Chatterjee directed Chameli Ki Shaadi and he posted his twilit rocket in comedy.
Anil Kapoor played a title role in Shekhar Kapur's sci-fi film, Mr. India , the biggest hit of the year . The film became one of his biggest hits at the box office and earned him superstar status. Anil Kapoor was equally impressive in the film Thikana directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
In 1988, he was awarded with his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in the movie, Tezaab, the biggest blockbuster of 1988. Anil proved to be the only saving grace even in flops like Ram-Avtar and "Vijay". The following year, he delivered Ram Lakhan with the song One Two Ka Four. In the movie Parinda, Kapoor played his role with conviction and his greatest achievement was to display the vulnerability of his character so perfectly. |