Kapoor family’s photographic legacy

FOR the Kapoor family, photography isn’t just a profession.

- SHIBA PRASAD SAHU @New Delhi

It is the lense of a lineage through which they have viewed the world for over a century. Their journey winds through time and terrain, from the colonial streets of Peshawar to the bustling alleys of Chandni Chowk’s Old Delhi Camera Market, carrying with it a story etched in resilience, reinvention, and passion.

It all began in 1923 when Madan Jee opened Madan Jee & Bro. Photographers in the heart of Peshawar, near the iconic Capital Cinema.

The shop quickly became more than a business—a gathering place for photography enthusiasts and a trusted name among the city’s elite. British soldiers, government officers, and aristocrats sought out Madan Jee not just for portraits, but for high-quality photographic equipment, film, and even watches. But then, history intervened. Partition happened. The division tore the subcontinent apart in 1947. The Kapoors’ world was upended. Sensing the brewing danger, Madan Jee sent his family ahead to Amritsar. A faint hope that the unrest would pass made him stay behind. It did not.

Eventually, he was forced to flee. He managed to be on one of the final flights from Pakistan to India. He left behind the legacy he so carefully built for himself and his generations. Left behind were his studio, the spacious home and worse, the years of work. He placed his trust in a loyal servant to look after what he could not carry.

The family arrived in Amritsar empty-handed—but not empty-hearted. With nothing but their skills, experience, and a fierce determination, the Kapoors began again. Raj Kapoor, Madanji's elder son, was born on April 21, 1947, in Amritsar. During the tumultuous years that followed, the family struggled to rebuild their lives.