This star gave more hits than Raj, Shashi, or Ranbir Kapoor, the forgotten hero of the Kapoor family, never got tag of superstar, he is…

This was once considered as the highest-paid-actor in Indian cinemas. Despite such massive popularity, this actor failed to get the label of superstar.

Did you who is called the ‘first family of Indian cinema’? it’s none other than, the Kapoor family. although there have been many other clans who ruled in Hindi cinema like the Chopras, the Akkinenis, Mukherjees, and the Konidelas. But it’s worth noting that, the Kapoor is the sole standing clan in the film industry that has given more stars to the film industry. While many don’t know Kapoor’s ancestors, today we will talk about the forgotten hero, who was once the highest-paid actor in Hindi cinema. Despite his popularity and name in the industry, he never rose to stardom.

Not Prithviraj but THIS Kapoor was the forgotten hero…

Many believe that Prithviraj Kapoor was the patriarch of the Kapoor clan, although he was not the man to make it to Hindi cinemas back in those days. Before him, his sibling. Trilok Kapoor was a well-known name in the industry. Trilok and Prithviraj Kapoor had an age of nearly 6 years, Trilok was born in 1912, and he made his debut in Hindi cinema during the 1930s where he first played the role of a hero in the film Char Darvesh. Soon Trilok saw his success in the film industry and saw his first hit in a span of a few months in Seeta. By this time, Prithviraj made an entry into Hindi films, where he either got to play villains or second leads compared to Trilok Kapoor.

Trilok's prime time in Hindi cinema

Right from 1933-1947, Trilok Kapoor made his name in Hindi cinema and went on to become the leading actor in the film industry, luck favoured him and he went on to become India’s highest-paid actor. He also worked alongside divas like Noor Jehan, Nalini Jaywant, Sushila Rani Patel, Meena Shorey, and Sulochana. Despite Trilok’s popularity, he couldn’t become one of the bankable actors during the 1930s-40s era. While actors like Ashok Kumar and Dilip Kumar became the audience’s favourite in no time. However, Trilok couldn’t find the right spot in the industry.

Trilok Kapoor's journey in Hindi films

During the 1950s era, Trilok was barely seen doing any lead roles in Hindi cinema. Soon the actor switched to Hindi mythological films. Trilok went on to depict, Lord Rama in Shri Ram Bhakta Hanuman (1948) and Lord Shiva in Ramayan (1954). The actor found huge success in playing such roles. While the audience loved to see Trilok in such avatars, the actor continued finding his touch in mythology. He even used to play Lord Krishna, the actor also featured alongside Nirupa Roy as Lord Shiva and Parvati.

For the unversed, Trilok has played lead roles in over 30 hit movies. It is worth noting that these numbers have not been achieved by anyone from the Kapoor family, stars like Shammi Kapoor (28), Raj Kapoor (17), and Ranbir Kapoor (11) are few mentions. Many may not know that Trilok worked in small-budget films and made them on a low scale, due to which the tag of the superstar was not given to him.