The Indian film industry has had many star actors and star directors, but none has managed to grab Hollywood’s attention the way Shekar Kapoor has. Despite being the nephew of the former star Dev Anand, Kapoor has had a worst than humble beginnings. His foray into the film world was in the form of an actor, but he failed miserably. Then he took to directing films and thus Bollywood got a director who was to take the essences of the Indian film industry to the West. No wonder Kapoor today is one of the big wigs in the filmdom. Way back in the 1970s, Shekar Kapoor chucked his career as a chartered accountant and a management consultant in London, and landed in Mumbai.

He was like many Indians who come to the city with the dream of being an actor. Carrying a tag of a failed actor on him, Kapoor decided to give direction a try. In 1982, he directed his first film, Bindiya Chamkegi, a low-budget production. The film that featured the talented duo of Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana and three child artists gave Kapoor his first taste of success. The next hit that Kapoor gave was Mr. India. By now Shekar Kapoor had earned himself a name and good reputation as a film director in India. But it was when he directed Bandit Queen, that Hollywood took notice of him. It was this film that got him the offer to direct a film on one of the greatest ever icon of Great Britain Queen Elizabeth. The film got nominated for an Oscar.

Shekar Kapoor got married Suchitra, a well known Indian pop singer. They both met when Suchitra auditioned for one of his movies… a meeting that has been documented in her hit video "Jab se Dekha" ( "When I saw you").