Mohan Kapur’s acting career was launched as the host of the celebrity-driven game show Snakes & Ladders, the first private satellite network series in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, becoming the first Indian television personality ever in South Asia. Known for his charismatic, wise-cracking, no-nonsense humor, Kapur’s show was watched in most South Asian households with a television. The series aired weekly for 2 years from 1992–1994 and was often compared to The Jay Leno Show meets Wheel of Fortune. After the show ended, Kapur launched India’s Wheel of Fortune as the host for Sony Television. Legendary director N. Chandra took notice of Kapur’s television fame and cast him as the lead villain in Beqabu. From there, he landed memorable roles opposite Salman Khan in Bodyguard and Shah Rukh Khan in Happy New Year. Recently, he starred in the mystery thriller Sadak 2 opposite Alia Bhatt, the Disney+ hot star series Hostages, in which he was nominated for a Gold Award for Best Negative Character and the Disney+ anthology series Crime Next Door. Kapur just wrapped Karma Calling, the Disney+ remake of ABC’s hit series Revenge, which starred Emily VanCamp. “I play a corrupt investment banker and the focal target of the lead,” he says.

Kapur’s breakout role in Hollywood was in Marvel’s phase four limited series Ms. Marvel, which debuted Marvel’s first Muslim and high school superhero. “I have three sisters who are raising their own ‘Khan Families’ in America. The show is important to help break cultural barriers and stereotypes.” Kapur reprises his role in the upcoming film The Marvels, where he appears alongside award-winning actors Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson.  Marvel Studios recently announced the film will be released on IMAX on November 10.

Before joining the MCU Universe, Kapur was no stranger to Marvel fans in India as the voice of Doctor Strange. He also is the Hindi Voice of Jackie Chan, Nicolas Cage, and Dwayne Johnson.

Despite his role as Yusuf Khan, the father of a popular superhero, Kapur transforms into an unsung one in his new film The Vaccine War, written and directed by avant-garde auteur Vivek Agnihotri. The Vaccine War is the director’s follow-up medical thriller to the sleeper hit The Kashmir Files. The film is based on the true events of a team of Indian bio-scientists and their race against the clock to create a vaccine for COVID-19, which eventually became Covaxin. 

In The Vaccine War, Kapur portrays real-life Indian hero, scientist Doctor Raman Gangakhedkar, Head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). To transform and age into this real-life hero, Kapur was put into prosthetics, a wig, and body padding. Kapur was unable to meet the man himself but relied on hours of his own research. “I watched all interviews, recorded conferences, news footage, and read Dr. Gangakhedkar’s papers to prepare for the role. He had a lifetime of knowledge and expertise on the evolution of these viruses since India, with a population of over a billion people, is no stranger to similar viruses like dengue and malaria. Dr. Gangakhedkar was convinced of his conclusions about the COVID-19 virus at a time when the world was trying to make sense of it. However, he was met with pushback, and his frustrations in a volatile environment were clearly seen. So I added a bit of a pout, which ages with years of this man’s heavy discernment, created a walk, and let his overall frustrations fill the space even if he wasn’t able to address them head-on.”

Considered Kapur’s most serious role yet, audiences have called his performance ‘engaging with so many layers’ and those in the scientific community who know Dr. Gangakhedkar have applauded Kapur’s accurate portrayal. Kapur is already receiving massive praise and award buzz. The film’s predecessor: The Kashmir Files, grossed over $32mi at the Indian box office, and was praised by India’sPrime Minister Modi for its honest portrayal of the plight of the Kashmiri pandits. The Vaccine War continues this tradition, portraying India’s hard-working scientists.

Mohan Kapur’s career has taken as many twists and turns as one of his films, but his recent success is undeniable. As his profile in Hollywood and Indian cinema grows, Kapur is becoming an internationally recognized actor with great potential. Kapur’s legacy in Indian cinema has already been cemented—he is coming for Hollywood and the rest of the world next.