The patriarch of the Kapoor family, Prithviraj Kapoor started his career as a theatre artist in Peshawar and later made his debut in the Hindi film industry as an extra in the 1929 film Be Dhari Talwar under Imperial Films Company. Kapoor went on to establish himself in the film industry working under New Theatre Studios, Calcutta. His most iconic roles include the portrayal of Alexander the Great in Sohrab Modi's Sikandar (1941) and Mughal Emperor Akbar in K.A. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960). First recepient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1956, his contribution to theatre has been impeccable, with the portrayal of "Pathan" and Shylok in an adaptation of William Shakespear's "The Merchant of Venice." He also established Prithvi Theatres in 1944, that still functions as a site for regular performances, even though the theatre company was discontinued in 1960, owing to Kapoor's ill health. He passed away in 1972, after battling brain cancer for many years.