Charlie Chaplin, Raj Kapoor, Djokovic: The People Who Inspire Anil Kapoor

Anil Kapoor’s five-decade career has been shaped not only by the films he has chosen but also by the people he has watched, admired and drawn lessons from. In a recent cover interview with Esquire India for its September issue, conducted by writer Prannay Pathak, Kapoor opened up about several of the figures who have influenced his approach to acting, longevity and life.

Among the strongest influences he recalled were Charlie Chaplin and Raj Kapoor. Reflecting on the innocent and selfless characters he played in films such as Woh Saat Din, Saaheb, Mr. India and Eeshwar, Kapoor described the influence as “Chaplinesque”. He credited Chaplin and Raj Kapoor with shaping his understanding of characters whose appeal came from their generosity of spirit and innocence rather than conventional machismo.

Kapoor also acknowledged the filmmakers who helped bring those performances to life, naming K. Bhagyaraj, Shekhar Kapur, Babu and K. Vishwanath. Their films, he suggested, allowed him to explore a particular kind of protagonist at a crucial stage of his career.

But his inspirations are not restricted to cinema. Kapoor spoke enthusiastically about Novak Djokovic after watching a documentary on the Serbian tennis star. What struck him was Djokovic’s ability to turn criticism into motivation. Kapoor said he identifies with that mindset, explaining that negative comments can become fuel to work harder and become “bigger and better”. He also cited Virat Kohli as someone he admires.

Tom Cruise, with whom Kapoor worked in Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, is another figure he holds in high regard. Kapoor pointed to Cruise’s discipline and the care he takes of his body, arguing that physical fitness remains an important part of an actor’s profession.

He also mentioned Mick Jagger, still performing at 83, as an example of extraordinary longevity.

Together, these references reveal what Kapoor values most: resilience, discipline, reinvention and the refusal to become complacent. That philosophy runs through the Esquire India interview, where he speaks about entering his seventies with excitement rather than apprehension. For Kapoor, the secret may be less about defeating age than continuing to find people and experiences that make him want to keep moving forward.