Anil Kapoor recalls first fan moment in Shirdi on India Ke Top 1%
Anil Kapoor reflects on an early career struggle and the Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham that led to his first fan recognition moment at Shirdi.
Anil Kapoor has been a fixture in Hindi cinema for so long that it is easy to forget his beginning was not a straight line. On the upcoming episode of Star Plus’ India Ke Top 1%, the actor rewinds to a difficult early chapter — when Hindi film offers were scarce — and shares how a Telugu film led to his first real fan moment in Shirdi.
On the show, Kapoor is mixing his usual energy with memories that are more reflective. This particular story stands out because it captures a star at a point before the industry had decided what he was worth.
When Hindi cinema was not opening its doors
Speaking on the family game show, Kapoor said the early years were marked by waiting. He wasn’t landing Hindi films, and he felt nobody in the industry was taking him seriously as a performer.
The change, when it arrived, came from a different direction entirely. Kapoor was offered a Telugu film, Vamsa Vruksham, and took it. The film released in Andhra Pradesh and gave him a presence with audiences there — but even after completing it, he found himself back at home, waiting for work to pick up.
The memory offers a glimpse at the gap between completing a film and having a career. Kapoor had done the work; what he still lacked was the next opportunity, and that made the Shirdi trip feel urgent.
That uncertainty pushed him to travel to Shirdi for Sai Baba’s darshan. As he recounted on India Ke Top 1%, his prayer was simple: keep everyone happy, keep his family happy, and, if possible, bring a little work so his career could move forward.
The autograph moment outside the temple
What happened next became a small but significant milestone. While leaving Shirdi, Kapoor noticed buses arriving from Andhra Pradesh, the same region where Vamsa Vruksham had released. Some of the passengers recognised him. Children and girls stepped off the buses and asked for his autograph.
Kapoor described the surprise with a short, startled reaction — “Yeh kya ho gaya?” — and said it was the first time in his life he had experienced public recognition like that. He credited the moment to Sai Baba’s blessing, turning what could have been an ordinary temple visit into an early sign that his work was travelling further than he realised.
It was a modest beginning by the standards of the fame he would later earn, but it gave him confirmation that his work was connecting somewhere.
Why the memory still lands
For fans who have grown up watching Anil Kapoor as a Bollywood regular, the story is a reminder of how unpredictable early fame can be. A regional film gave him his first taste of being recognised, well before Hindi cinema made him a household name. It also shows why actors often treat early work outside one language as more than a side step — it can build the first wave of connection with an audience.
For younger viewers, Kapoor’s story is a useful reminder that a career can be built sideways. He took a Telugu film when Hindi cinema was not offering him a clear door, and that sideways step became the first place an audience reached back.
The anecdote arrives as part of India Ke Top 1%, billed as Star Plus’ biggest family game show in a decade. The weekend format mixes trivia and entertainment with candid moments from Kapoor’s life, and this memory is one of the more personal stories he has offered.
If you want to catch the episode, here are the essentials:
- Show: India Ke Top 1%
- Personality: Anil Kapoor
- Airing: every Saturday and Sunday at 8 PM
- Where: Star Plus and JioHotstar
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
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