Actor Anil Kapoor recently reflected on the challenges he faced at the beginning of his career and revealed that his distinctive mustache and stubble played a decisive role when he approached filmmakers for work. During his session titled The Ageless Rebel: Rewriting the Rules of Stardom, On the first day of India Today Conclave Delhi 2026, Anil shared how he often used to wear sporting stubble to look older while approaching filmmakers.

Read the full story

“Whenever I went to filmmakers for work, they would say things like, ‘is small, there is more hair (He’s very short, very hairy)’ – That I looked very short. At that time, the industry was ruled by heroes like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna, who were known for their strong acting. So, I also kept stubble because I wanted to look a little older. If you watch movies like those seven daysI played the role of an innocent boy who comes from a small place to become a music director, and people thought I was too young for the role. They thought someone like Sanjeev Kumar would be more suitable,” said Anil.

“Even later, I mr indiaYou can see the stub, be it a romantic scene or an emotional one. I had to constantly struggle to look a little older. In fact, this look became so synonymous with me that other actors remained adamant and people started saying, ‘Oh, Anil Kapoor!'”

See also

Entertainment

Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli leave for Alibaug after spiritual rest in Vrindavan

Anil Kapoor further said that in his initial days, his mustache was a big problem to fit in as a hero. “The real issue was the moustache. Nobody wanted to accept me with a mustache because they believed that no one with a big mustache could become a big star. And I would say, ‘Who could be bigger than Charlie Chaplin?’ Even legends like Raj Kapoor had a moustache,” he said.

Anil Kapoor’s latest film has been watched Subedar. The film, directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhika Madan, Mona Singh and Khushboo Sundar, is available on Prime Video.