Anil Kapoor Celebrates 40 Years of Karma: “Working With Dilip Kumar and Nasser Saab Was Equal Parts Intimidating and Inspiring”

Four decades later, Karma still holds a special place in Anil Kapoor’s heart. On the exact 40th anniversary of the 1986 blockbuster, the actor took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, sharing a video featuring some of his most memorable moments from the film. Directed by Subhash Ghai, Karma released on August 8, 1986, and brought together an extraordinary ensemble that included Dilip Kumar, Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff, Sridevi and Anupam Kher. For Kapoor, the film arrived at a crucial stage of his career and became an experience he continues to cherish.

Sharing the montage, Anil Kapoor wrote, “40 years… it honestly feels unreal. Karma came at a pivotal moment in my journey, and every day on that set was a masterclass.” The actor's words capture just how significant the film was for him at a time when he was steadily establishing himself as one of Hindi cinema's most exciting leading men. The video itself takes fans back to Kapoor's high-energy screen presence in the film, featuring action sequences, horseback rides and intense close-ups before ending with the nostalgic message, “40 YEARS OF KARMA.”

For Kapoor, however, the real magic of Karma was the opportunity to work alongside some of the industry's greatest performers. Remembering his experience with the legendary Dilip Kumar and the immensely respected Naseeruddin Shah, he admitted, “Working with the legendary Dilip Kumar and the incredible Nasser Saab was equal parts intimidating and inspiring.” It is a particularly revealing reflection from an actor who himself would go on to become one of Bollywood's most enduring stars. Sharing the frame with such towering performers, Kapoor suggests, was not merely another professional assignment—it was a learning experience.

The film also gave Kapoor the opportunity to work under the direction of Subhash Ghai, whose larger-than-life storytelling became one of the defining features of Hindi cinema during the era. Kapoor acknowledged that association with equal warmth, writing, “To be directed by Subhash Ji and to share the screen with such an extraordinary cast remains one of the greatest privileges of my career.” The multi-starrer also featured Jackie Shroff and Sridevi, adding even more star power to a film that combined action, emotion, patriotism and drama on a grand scale.

As Karma completes 40 years, Kapoor's tribute feels less like a conventional anniversary post and more like a thank-you note to a chapter of his life that helped shape the actor he would become. He concluded his message by thanking audiences for keeping the film alive across generations: “Thank you for keeping Karma alive and cherished for four decades.” Four decades on, the film remains a nostalgic reminder of an era when massive ensemble casts, powerful performances and unabashedly dramatic storytelling ruled the big screen—and for Anil Kapoor, it remains a treasured piece of the journey that brought him here.