11 Anil Kapoor movies that will make you go ‘Jhakaas’
Over the past decades, Anil Kapoor has worked in over 100 Bollywood movies. Let’s take a look at some of the best films of the acclaimed actor.
Anil Kapoor’s contribution to the Indian film industry has been enormous. In his career spanning over 45 years, he has worked in more than 100 Hindi films, along with a couple of international projects and some TV series. As an ode to the jhakaas actor, we take a look at some of the best Anil Kapoor movies in this article.
11 Anil Kapoor movies that you can’t afford to miss:
1. Mr. India
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri
Director: Shekhar Kapur
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Movie Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Drama
Release year: May 25, 1987
Where to watch: Zee 5
After a kind-hearted violinist, who takes care of a couple of orphaned kids, finds a magical cloak of invisibility, he tries to improve his standards of living and pay his debt. Meanwhile, he meets his lady love and the two fight the antagonist Mogambo who plans to take over the country with his power and eventually become Mr. India.
2. Ram Lakhan
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Madhuri Dixit, Amrish Puri, Raakhee, Jackie Shroff
Director: Subhash Ghai
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
Movie Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Drama
Release year: January 27, 1989
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Over the past decade, Ram Lakhan became a cult classic. Anil Kapoor’s character and his hook step to the song My Name Is Lakhan was loved so much that even today, the actor receives a roaring applause from the crowd when he recreates it.
3. Jamai Raja
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Hema Malini, Madhuri Dixit
Director: A. Kodandarami Reddy
IMDB Rating: 5.3/10
Movie Genre: Drama/ Romance
Release year: October 19, 1990
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
An egoistic and proud woman tries to get her Jamai Raja and her daughter separated after they fall for each other and get married secretly. The daughter of this wealthy woman gets love-struck by a worker in her mother’s factory who belongs to a poor family. After their wedding, the woman invited her daughter and son-in-law to stay with her in her lavish house with the intention of creating problems between the married couple.
4. Beta
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Aruna Irani
Director: Indra Kumar
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
Movie Genre: Drama/ Romance
Release year: April 3, 1992
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Before her death, Raju’s mother makes him the trustee of all the wealth. Watching his son being deprived of his mother’s love, his father marries a woman who is greedy and shrewd. In the film Beta, the cruel woman tries to brainwash the young lad into transferring all his wealth to her and her brother. The film is an official remake of the 1987 Tamil film Enga Chinna Rasa.
5. 1942: A Love Story
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Chandni, Danny Denzongpa, Pran
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Movie Genre: Action/ Drama
Release year: July 15, 1994
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Next up on the list of best Anil Kapoor movies is 1942: A Love Story which revolves around lovers Naren and Rajjo belonging to contrasting family backgrounds. It showcases the struggle of the couple whose relationship suffered after the Indian revolutionary movement in the 1940s.
6. Judaai
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Urmila Matondkar
Director: Raj Kanwar
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
Movie Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance
Release year: February 28, 1997
Where to watch: Zee 5
Married to a middle-class but loving man, a greedy woman named Kajal dreams of having a luxurious life. While another educated and rich woman Janhvi falls for the man’s sincerity and good nature. To fulfill her dream, Kajal sells her husband to Janhvi in Judaai. Towards the end, she realizes that she had to pay a heavy price to fund her greed.
7. Biwi No.1
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, Sushmita Sen, Saif Ali Khan
Director: David Dhawan
IMDB Rating: 5.7/10
Movie Genre: Drama/ Rom-com
Release year: May 28, 1999
Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar
A happy and cheerful house of a couple with two kids gets compromised after the husband indulges in an extramarital affair with a model. To teach him a lesson and bring him back, his simple housewife undergoes a makeover with the help of her husband’s friend Lakhan (Anil Kapoor) and ends up becoming the Biwi No.1.
8. Nayak: The Real Hero
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal
Director: S. Shankar
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Movie Genre: Action/ Drama/ Thriller
Release year: September 7, 2001
Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar
Fed up by the corrupt ruling government, a middle-class man accepts a challenge by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to run the state for one day. Nayak showcases the troubles the man faces in order to change and free the system from corrupt politicians.
9. Jugjugg Jeeyo
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Maniesh Paul, Prajakta Koli
Director: Raj Mehta
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
Movie Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Release year: June 24, 2022
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Two couples from different generations face the marital stress they have been dealing with over the past years. The four of them reunite at a wedding where everyone comes to know about their plans to split. The bride is also in two minds, still not over with her ex-boyfriend. Towards the end of Jugjugg Jeeyo, everyone gets their happily ever after.
10. Animal
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri
Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
Movie Genre: Action/ Drama
Release year: December 1, 2023
Where to watch: Netflix
Animal showcases the complex relationship between a father and son and how the latter tries to avenge the assassination attempt on his father from one of his own.
11. Fighter
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone
Director: Siddharth Anand
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
Movie Genre: Action/Thriller
Release year: January 25, 2024
Where to watch: OTT rights bought by Netflix
Fighter is the story of top IAF aviators who join forces to stop terrorist organizations from attacking India. Together they form Air Dragons and face the dangers creating a perfect example of camaraderie and brotherhood during the battles.
Anil Kapoor started in the industry with a minor role in Hamare Tumhare, back in 1979. Since then, he has been part of scores of movies including his first international project Slumdog Millionaire which brought him critical acclaim. Let us know which of these best Anil Kapoor movies have you already watched.
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