Kunaal Roy Kapur

Background and personal life

Kunaal comes from a family of mixed Hindu Punjabi and Baghdadi Jewish heritage. His paternal grandfather, Raghupat Roy Kapur (or Raghupat Rai Kapoor), was a film producer. Kunaal's father was Kumud Roy Kapur, and his mother, Salome Roy Kapur, is of Baghdadi Jewish descent whose ancestors migrated to India from Israel and Iraq as merchants. A dancer, dance instructor, stage choreographer and former Miss India, Salome is the daughter of Sam and Ruby Aaron, who were among the earliest accredited teachers of Ballroom and Latin American dancing in India.

Kunaal is the second of three brothers. His elder brother is Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV and Disney India, and his younger brother is film actor Aditya Roy Kapur. Actress Vidya Balan is married to Siddharth.

Kunaal has been married to Shayonti Salvi since 2005. Shayonti is of mixed Maharashtrian and Sindhi heritage. The couple has a son named Ishan and a daughter named Shaziyah.

Career

Kapur started his acting career with the Indian soap Just Mohabbat (1997–98), which aired on Sony TV. He then appeared in a cameo role in the 2007 film, Loins of Punjab Presents opposite Shabana Azmi and Ishita Sharma. He was also seen in Panga Naa Lo.

In 2006, Kunaal directed the comedy play, The President Is Coming. He adapted the play into film, to make his directorial debut with the mockumentary The President Is Coming (2009), starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Shernaz Patel, which opened to mixed reviews and was declared a "Semi-Hit".

Kapur appeared in six episodes of British-Indian comedy series Mumbai Calling (2009) as a call centre operator. He then appeared in Aamir Khan Productions' Delhi Belly (2011) alongside Imran Khan and Vir Das. Thereafter, he acted in Nautanki Saala (2013) with Ayushman Khurana and did a small role in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) with an ensemble cast, including Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, and his younger brother Aditya. Then he appeared in Action Jackson directed by Prabhu Deva, along with Ajay Devgan, Sonakshi Sinha and Yami Gautam and Gollu Aur Pappu, along with Vir Das and Karishma Tanna. His last release was Azhar, where he played Reddy (Azharuddin's lawyer). He then appeared in the 2017 release The Final Exit. He was next seen in Vishal Mishra directorial Hotel Milan alongside Zeishan Quadri, Karishma Sharma, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rajesh Sharma and Zakir Hussain. Then he acted in an eight episode web series called Going Viral, which aired on Amazon prime and in Eros Now's comedy Side Hero. In 2019, he starred in another Mishra directored film, Marudhar Express. It was a sweet small town romantic film set in Kanpur. He was also seen on web series TVF Tripling (season 1 and 2) as Pranav.

Kunaal appeared in a short film named Smartphone which also starred Hina Khan and Akshay Oberoi.

Filmography

Films

Television

Music video

References

References

1. (3 August 2013). "History of India's Jewish beauty queens". Ynetnews.
2. Sophia. (2025-07-04). "Kumud Roy Kapur Biography, Age, Career, NetWorth And Family".
3. (9 August 2019). "Mushkil Screening: Kunaal Roy Kapur joined by brothers Siddharth Roy Kapur and Aditya Roy Kapur".
4. [https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/kunaal-roy-kapur-we-both-go-to-the-gym-but-it-is-aditya-not-i-who-gets-clicked/story-0dA87QjgrSwRUDPoud1pIO.html Hindustan Times]
5. (6 Aug 2011). "'Strange things are possible in Mumbai'". [[Tehelka]] Magazine.
6. (14 July 2011). "'Direction comes first'". [[Hindustan Times]].
7. (31 Jul 2008). "Director's cut – Kunaal Roy Kapur". [[The Hindu]].
8. (8 January 2009). "''The President Is Coming: Review''". Time of India.
9. [https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/glossary/story/20110620-kunal-roy-kapur-in-delhi-belly-746457-2011-06-11 The good buddy: Kunal Roy Kapur plays role of a 'messy' boy in 'Delhi Belly'] , ''[[India Today]]'', 20 June 2011.
10. https://www.bollywoodchronicle.com/bollywood/kunal-roy-kapurs-hotel-milan-is-based-on-anti-romeo-squad-and-moral-policing-in-up/ {{Dead link. (February 2022)
11. (3 August 2018). "Marudhar Express: Here is the first look of Kunaal Roy Kapur and Tara Alisha Berry's small-town love story".
12. (20 April 2020). "EXCLUSIVE: Kunaal Roy Kapur on working with Hina Khan in Smartphone, apprehensions on a multi starrer and more".
13. (18 April 2020). "Hina Khan is amazingly professional and a total sport: Kunaal Roy Kapur".
14. (29 October 2025). "Thode Door Thode Paas: Pankaj Kapur, Mona Singh and Kunaal Roy Kapur star in family drama; explores the need to unplug in digital age". The Times of India.