Prithviraj Kapoor was an Indian theater and film actor, film producer, writer and film director.  He was associated with IPTA as one of its founding members.  He established the Prithvi Theater in 1944 as a traveling Theater Company.

Kapoor began his acting career in the Theaters of Lyallpur and Peshawar. In 1928 he joined the Imperial Film’s Company and started acting in minor roles in movies. After featuring in nine silent films , Kapoor did a supporting role India’s first film talkie “Alam Ara”.

He also joined the Grant Anderson Theater Company an English Theatrical Company. Kapoor remained devoted to the Theater and performed on stage regularly. By 1944 Kapoor standing to found his own Theater group Prithvi Theaters. In over 16 years of existence, the Theater staged 2662 performances. Kapoor starred as the lead actor in every single show. Kapoor’s popular plays was called “Pathan” which was performed on stage nearly 600 times in Mumbai. It is a story of Muslim and his Hindu friend.

He played roles in 47 films. His performance in “Vidyapati” was much appreciated. His best-known performance is Alexander the Great in Soharab Modi’s “Sikander” In this film he played lead role of Sikander. Kapoor gave his most memorable performance as the Mughal Emperor Akbar in K. Asif’s “Mughal-e-azam”.

In 1954 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship. In 1969 the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. He remained nominated Rajya Sabha Member for eight years. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 1971. He was the third recipient of that Award. It is the highest Award in Indian Cinema.

In 1996 the Golden Jubilee year of the founding of Prithvi Theater, India Post, issued special two Rupee Postage Stamp. It featured the Logo of the Theater, the dates 1945-1995 and image of Kapoor. On the occasion of 100 years of the Indian Cinema, another Postage Stamp was released by India Post on 3rd May 2013.