A Director's Journey: The Biography and Filmography of Subhash Kapoor!

Subhash Kapoor is a celebrated Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for his satirical courtroom dramas that offer a humorous yet poignant commentary on society. Before his foray into cinema, Kapoor honed his storytelling skills as a political journalist, a profession that deeply influenced his filmmaking style. His films often touch upon themes of corruption, social justice, and the common man’s struggle against powerful institutions, all delivered with sharp wit and engaging storytelling.

 

Early Life and Career

Born and raised in New Delhi, Kapoor began his professional journey as a political journalist in the 1990s. He covered North India, gaining firsthand experience and insight into the political and social landscape, which would later become the foundation for his films. In the early 2000s, he transitioned to filmmaking, starting with short films, documentaries, and ad films. This period of his career was crucial in his development as a director and screenwriter, eventually leading him to shift base to Mumbai in 2006 to pursue feature films.

His journey as a feature film director began with the 2007 sports drama Say Salaam India. Although it didn't perform well commercially, the film was critically acclaimed, hinting at the talent that would soon find its footing.

 

A Filmography of Hits and Critically Acclaimed Works

Kapoor’s career truly took off with his satirical comedy, Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010). This film, a dark comedy about a gang of kidnappers in a recession-hit India, was a surprise commercial success and earned widespread critical acclaim. Its witty dialogues and unique premise established Kapoor as a director with a distinct voice.

Following this success, he created what would become his most iconic franchise: Jolly LLB. The first film, released in 2013, was a powerful courtroom drama starring Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and was a commercial hit. The sequel, Jolly LLB 2 (2017), starring Akshay Kumar, continued the franchise's winning streak, becoming an even bigger blockbuster and cementing Kapoor's reputation for crafting engaging and socially relevant films.

His filmography also includes:

• Guddu Rangeela (2015): A comedy film that follows two bumbling cousins who get caught up in a dangerous kidnapping plot.
• Madam Chief Minister (2021): A political drama starring Richa Chadha, which received both critical praise and controversy for its portrayal of politics.
• Jolly LLB 3 (2025): The much-anticipated sequel that brings back both Arshad Warsi and Akshay Kumar in a new legal battle, and it's already creating a massive buzz.

Beyond films, Subhash Kapoor also created the highly acclaimed political web series Maharani for SonyLIV, starring Huma Qureshi. The series, which has run for multiple seasons, has been lauded for its gripping narrative and strong performances, proving Kapoor's versatility as a creator across different formats.

Kapoor's work is a testament to his ability to use humor and drama as tools to explore serious social issues, making his films not only entertaining but also impactful.

Jolly LLB 3 is on the cards with SRK?

Director Subhash Kapoor's Jolly LLB 2 starring Akshay Kumar and Huma Qureshi did very well at the box office and crossed the INR 100 crore mark securely. At the success press conference of the movie, the makers pronounced the third part to the franchise.

Foz Star India's CEO Vijay Singh confirmed to the media that Jolly LLB 3 will assuredly happen. But, the cast of the film wasn't announced. While Jolly LLB starred Arshad Warsi in the lead, the second part had Akshay Kumar.

Now buzzes in the tinsel town suggest that for the third part of the franchise, the makers are anticipating on casting Shah Rukh Khan. A famous tabloid has carried a report which states that SRK is being considered for Jolly LLB 3.

Though there is no confirmation about it from the team, a close source reveals to the tabloid, "Right now, the script is not ready but the makers definitely want to take the successful franchise forward and make a third instalment. Subhash wants to take a small break before he starts scripting that. They are happy with how the sequel has performed at the box office and are keen to cast Shah Rukh in the third part. The director had even approached SRK for Jolly LLB role which was finally done by Arshad Warsi. He has numerous concepts for the Jolly series and wants Shah Rukh to act in at least one. But he will only finalise it after the team returns from their break."

Jolly LLB 2 is worthy to watch for performances of trio Akshay, Saurabh and Annu Kapoor with great entertainment quotient.

Release Date: 10 February 2017

Producer: Fox Star Studios

Director: Subhash Kapoor

Cast: Saurabh Shukla, Annu Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Huma Qureshi

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Jolly LLB 2 is a good movie with an inspiring tale, using star power to fulfill commercial needs.

This sequel of Jolly LLB, noticeably superior to the first, brings back the joys of watching a movie with a better plot, a strong sense of time and place and rhythm, and a confidence in itself that has been missing from the Hindi Film Industry. Yes, there are a few pros and cons, but in general, this Akshay Kumar-starrer is a winner.

There is an actual world outside film courtrooms where a common man can’t distinguish between a corrupt judicial system and a dishonest police administration. And this world comes charging at you before you can look away. Add a few bullets and some dark humour and you get Jolly LLB 2, the second movie in the Jolly LLB (2013) franchise.

Kanpur’s Jagdishwar Mishra aka Jolly (Akshay Kumar) practices in the “Lucknow high court” and wants to own a chamber. His father has been a stenographer for a top lawyer for years, and that makes Jolly his natural successor. However, this is how he gets treated at work. His boss sends him to buy vegetables and he is also supposed to help arrange a domestic party. He is whatever but a self-respecting lawyer.

He isn’t the only odd character around though. Justice Sunderlal Tripathi (Saurabh Shukla) has undergone a bypass surgery, and he has to dance at his daughter’s marriage. Guess what? He practices his steps inside the court.

Time has hardened Pramod Mathur (Annu Kapoor), Jolly’s archrival and a prolific lawyer in the city. He isn’t scared of even fighting the judge an interesting departure from the original where nobody risked to insult justice Tripathi at the Delhi high court.

Jolly could have avoided falling prey to such a system, but he has taken the onus of getting the justice delivered in a fake encounter case in which inspector Suryaveer Singh (Kumud Mishra) is the prime suspect.

But you also know that this Jolly will see the path of truth sooner vs later, and set out to slap the bad guys into submission. Not with the kind of kicks and slaps that we’ve got used to from Akshay’s actioners, but the sort of colourful oral sparring that lawyers engage in, dotted with some funny throwaway lines which the star generously shares with his terrific co-stars, particularly Saurabh Shukla and Annu Kapoor.

Numerous scenes of the film remind the spectator of those legal satire shows where the judicial system looks like a big, dark joke. Mostly the joke is on Jolly, and sometimes it’s on us. We somehow know that there’s no escaping the wrath of overworked judges and a broken system. But Jolly needs to find loopholes in the system to keep his hopes afloat.

This is where the screenplay decides to do away with the good research done by the film’s team. It starts to appear like a mix of many movies. If the judge looks inspired from And Justice For All’s John Forsythe, Jolly himself seems to be taking a cue from Arshad Warsi’s much-loved act in the first movie.

Also, the film appears confused between a satire and a thriller. The most effective scenes are cut short to pave way for action scenes. This way the pace is maintained, but the theme is overlooked.

It’s only in the second half that Jolly LLB 2 comes back to a lengthy courtroom battle and gives its actors a chance to rise and shine. Here, Annu Kapoor gives Akshay Kumar a solid run for his money. Over-emphasis on melodrama hampers a well thought-out central idea.

It’s the great support cast of Jolly LLB 2 that sustains the momentum. If Saurabh Shukla is remarkably adorable as the tired judge then Huma Qureshi effortlessly fits in the role of a Gucci-loving, wine-swigging housewife. Kumud Mishra as the thoroughly bad cop is a nice change of image for this amiable actor.

The friendly sarcasm between a Kanpur migrant and a Lucknow lawyer are entertaining to watch. The difficulties faced by a Delhi judge in Lucknow are tragically funny, particularly when lawyers call their friends and local criminals to fist-fight on their behalf, inside the courtroom.

The use of local dialect sometimes looks forced and the movie does away with the innocence of Jolly LLB (2013), in order to become a tearjerker. The strategy doesn’t work.

But what works perfectly is the focus on real issues like corruption, terrorism and under-pressure judges. Kapoor has tackled all these problems with a great control. He has induced small, hilarious moments at crucial junctures that work as perfect breathers. Thanks to his understanding of court procedures, his characters look human and vulnerable unlike usual Bollywood movies where the hero plays the victim and the judge.

Akshay Kumar guarantees that you keep smiling at regular intervals. He makes you remember Warsi, but also adds his touch to Jolly. Overlook some of the negligible flaws, it is a great entertainer.

Akshay has done 10 times better work than me in Jolly LLB 2, says Arshad Warsi!

Film Jolly LLB 2 has been in the news ever since it was pronounced because Arshad Warsi was not the part of this sequel. Then came the rumours that there is a bad blood between Arshad and Akshay Kumar. 

Arshad had starred in Jolly LLB, which released in 2013.

Yesterday, Akshay took to Instagram to share a picture of the two and disparaged all the rumours of their fallout. Now, Arshad has watched the movie and is all praises for the film and Akshay's act. 

Warsi told a news agency, "I think, it's a very good film, very intriguing. Although, I knew about the whole story, but it was still fun to watch the whole aspect of how he solves the case," told Warsi.

"All that trauma and the whole thing about how a bad lawyer becoming a good lawyer is very good and very interesting and I think that Akshay has done 10 times better work than me," told the 48-year-old actor. 

I don't make films to change people's mindsets, says Akshay Kumar!

Different genres as action, comedy, patriotism, satire, romance, drama in a career spanning over 25 years and a 100-plus filmography, Akshay Kumar has emphasized the concept of "good over evil" through many of his flicks. But, the actor says he has never intended to preach anything to the viewers or to change anybody's mindset with his work.

"I don't do films to bring changes in people's minds. I do films which I believe in. So I present the films which I believe in. If anybody likes the film or not, that depends on people," Akshay said ahead of the release of his new courtroom drama "Jolly LLB 2".

With a smile reflecting fulfillment on his face, the 49-year-old Akshay added, "I did a film called 'OMG - Oh My God!' because I don't believe in idol worship. I believe god is within us. I feel why are we wasting milk by pouring it over god's idols... Rather than that, we should give it to some poor person. A lot of people tell me that they liked that film and now don't follow the same (don't believe in idol worship)."

But Akshay told it has never been a deliberate attempt by him to make "films to teach".

Directed by Subhash Kapoor, "Jolly LLB 2", which also features Huma Qureshi, Saurabh Shukla and Annu Kapoor, is slated to release on Friday.

I didn't face any ignorance during shooting with A-lister Akshay, says Huma Qureshi!

Gorgeous actress Huma Qureshi, who shares screen space with actor Akshay Kumar in upcoming courtroom drama movie "Jolly LLB 2", tells she doesn’t feel that her role will get ignored in front of Akshays stardom.

Asked whether she felt being ignored by Akshay's presence, Huma told here on Tuesday: "I didn't feel ignored at all."

Akshay, who was also present at the venue, interfered and told, "How can I ignore actresses? Did I ignore my actress in ‘Airlift'. In ‘Housefull 3', we had three heroines."

"On the contrary, I made shots for her (Huma) in ‘Jolly LLB 2'. I made food for her and used to give her a massage," he joked.

Huma later told, "Actually he has made this film, so that all the boys run away from my life by proving that she is a dominating girl and forces her husband to do all the work."

She told that she is not feeling any pressure of featuring alongside an A-list actor.

"But I didn't face anything like this (getting ignored by Akshay's part). I love a lot of his films, ‘Airlift' being my favourite," Huma told.

"Jolly LLB 2" is scheduled to release on Friday.

CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani’s helping hands for Akshay starrer Jolly LLB 2!

Film Jolly LLB 2 has been in news for its legal trouble as it mocks the whole system and is a sarcastic take on the law of our country. On Monday, the filmmakers were ordered to delete some scenes which show Indian Law in a bad light.  

In a report in a famous daily, the whole fiasco has been clarified. It's a war between CBFC and the court. The movie was passed by CBFC, but Bombay High Court panel had issues with some scenes. They wanted the filmmakers to remove the whole part where Akshay Kumar who is playing the lawyer in the movie jumps on the dais and when he tells his client to throw show at the judge. 

Not just this particular scene, but the panel also want the makers to remove the part where the judge hides behind his chair. Well, the director has also agreed to go by what the High Court has said. Supreme Court will hear the matter today. 

Speaking about the matter, CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani said the daily, "We are a responsible body and know how to do our job. We wouldn't have cleared the movie if we felt their intention was to disrespect anybody. It is a work of fiction, not a documentary, and made for the sake for entertainment. I don't see why there is an issue if the film runs a disclaimer at the beginning."

Jolly LLB 2’s music is really enjoyable with songs likely to blend in well with the story.

The soundtrack of Jolly LLB 2's duration is just 15 minute with only four songs in there. That makes it an average of less than four minutes per song and could well be one of the shortest ever albums of an Akshay Kumar movie. As a matter of fact his last release Rustom was spread over 35 minutes with as many as 10 tracks in there (many of which were reprise/different versions though). However, coming back to Jolly LLB 2, a couple of songs from the movie have already been disclosed.

1. Song Go Pagal

  

The album begins with song Go Pagal. Put together by Manj Musik, this one has Nindy Kaur giving worthy company to Raftaar behind the mike. Together, they bring in a lot of 'raftaar' to this fast paced song which doesn't have a single dull moment, keeps the feet tapping right and is just right for a festive outing.

2. Song Bawara Mann

The next song Bawara Mann is a romantic number. Though one waits to see whether Chirrantan Bhatt composed and Junaid Wasi written Bawara Mann will reach there as well or not, one has to acknowledge the fact that as singers, Jubin Nautiyal and Neeti Mohan really do well behind the mike. Now if only the overall styling and presentation of the song had been a slight well, 'Bawara Mann' could have been all the more pleasant.

3. Song Jolly Good Fellow

The next one is Jolly Good Fellow. Over the years one has heard this much famous tune in numerous outing, particularly in Hollywood movies. Now the traditional celebration tune is adapted by Meet Bros for this title track where they also step in as singers. Written by Shabbir Ahmed, this one has the coming together of 'desi' fun in a 'videshi' tune that blends in rather flawlessly. While Purnima Solanki and Sanchiti Sakat provide support as the female vocalists, Shabbir Ahmed and Earl Edgar chip in with Hindi and English rap portions.

4. Song O Re Rangreza

The next one is a Sufi number O Re Rangreza. Now Jolly LLB 2 is no different as Vishal Khurana is trusted with the job of putting together a 'qawalli' O Re Rangreza. Though this one has Sukhwinder Singh leading the show from the front with Murtuza Mustafa & Qadir Mustafa chipping in, somehow the song hardly comes across as situational. Junaid Wasi's lyrics are in line with the proceedings on screen and one can expect them to take the story forward.

The Music of Jolly LLB 2 is really entertaining with songs likely to blend in well with the story. The songs Go Pagal, Jolly Good Fellow and Bawara Mann are harmonious and energetic numbers.

Jolly LLB 2’s one song is inspired by Akshay’s daughter Nitara’s nursery rhyme!

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar is presently gearing up for the big round of promotions due before the release of Subhash Kapoor’s Jolly LLB 2 in February but before that here’s an exciting trivia about the courtroom drama.

It has lately been reported that Akshay’s little daughter Nitara inadvertently inspired a track in his forthcoming next.

A famous tabloid quoted a source as telling, “One evening, Akshay was playing with his daughter when she started humming the song. He felt that they could come up with a quirky, cool song for Subhash Kapoor's 'Jolly LLB 2' based on it. After a few quick calls with the makers, they locked in the idea and a few days later, the track was ready."

Particularly, He’s a Jolly Good Fellow is the track that was inspired by the 49-year-old actor’s little one.

The song was shot in a day in Mumbai last month and also features Huma Qureshi.

Akshay Kumar reveals the poster of Jolly LLB 2 with 'The State vs Jolly LL.B 2' tagline!

Evergreen star Akshay Kumar is presently busy shooting for Toilet-Ek Prem Katha. He is also gearing up for the promotions of 2.0 with Thalaiva Rajinikanth. In the middle of this, the actor has already begun the preparation for the release of his forthcoming court drama Jolly LLB 2.

The movie which is a sequel to the 2013 super hit Jolly LLB starring Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani, is directed by Subhash Kapoor and releases in February 2017.

Ahead of the film's release, Akshay has shared the first teaser poster and it has surely excited us. The poster shows Akshay riding a scooter with the tagline that reads 'The State vs Jolly LL.B 2'.

"Get set to meet Jolly tonight. The journey of #JollyLLB2 begins...here is the teaser poster!!," shared Akshay.

Actor Arshad Warsi discloses why Akshay Kumar replaced him in Jolly LLB 2!

Arshad Warsi, who had played a bumbling lawyer in Subhash Kapoor's legal satire Jolly LLB, has been replaced by Akshay Kumar in Jolly LLB 2 and Warsi finally opened up about why he lost out on the sequel project.

In a recent interview to a magazine, Arshad told that in his opinion, had his last movie Guddu Rangeela worked, he might have bagged Jolly LLB 2 too, but as the film tanked, the makers of Jolly LLB 2 decided to sign up Akshay Kumar for the role. Warsi but added that he is not sad or depressed about not being a part of the sequel project.

Akshay will share screen space with Huma Qureshi, Annu Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla in Jolly LLB 2.

Akshay Kumar's specific lawyer look in 'Jolly LLB 2'!

We had informed earlier that Akshay Kumar will be seen playing a lawyer for the very first time in Jolly LLB 2, the sequel to Arshad Warsi-starrer Jolly LLB and Akshay Kumar shared his look from the movie on his Twitter page.

In the movie, Akshay is seen with oiled hair parted on the side and a moustache with a red tikka on his forehead, looking like a 'pakka' North Indian gentleman. The actor is also seen wearing a black suit, white shirt and a lawyer's collar. Akshay also posted, "New day with a new look for a new film, let the mayhem begin! #JollyLLB2 it is! Judgement day 10th February, 2017!" In the prequel, Arshad was seen fighting a case against Boman Irani, but the sequel will see Akshay's character locking horns withAnnu Kapoor in court.

Akshay Kumar says ‘Yes’ to 'Jolly LLB 2' only for becoming a lawyer!

Arshad Warsi, who had played a lawyer in Jolly LLB, has been substituted by Akshay Kumar in Jolly LLB 2 and we lately got to know why Akshay gave his nod to the movie.

In an interview, Akshay told that he has never played a lawyer before and as such, was quite thrilled to step into the shoes of a lawyer for this movie. Akshay further added that apart from this, he really liked the script, which made him sign the dotted line. The actor is seemingly quite thrilled about the movie, which will be directed by Subhash Kapoor.

Akshay will be next seen playing a Navy official in Neeraj Pandey's production endeavor Rustom, which also stars Ileana D'Cruz, Arjan Bajwa, Esha Gupta and others.

Akshay Kumar’s latest love interest is Huma Qureshi?

Actress Huma Qureshi, who was last seen in X: Past Is Present, has bagged a role in Subhash Kapoor's sequel of Jolly LLB. Reportedly, the actress cleared her look test and has signed the project, which stars Akshay Kumar.

Akshay and Huma will share screen space for the first time. Akshay, who has never played a lawyer on screen, will step into the lead role of the Kanpur-based lawyer Jagdish `Jolly' Tyagi, which was played by Arshad Warsi in the 2013-National Award winning movie. The movie is set to roll from August 15 in Lucknow. Apart from Lucknow, the movie will be shot in Varanasi and Kashmir.

The first instalment of the movie was seemingly based on the Sanjeev Nanda hit-and-run case of 1999, the sequel is expected to be based on another real-life incident. There is a buzz that Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla, who played the judge in the first part, will be back in the sequel in a special appearance. The courtroom comedy drama is scheduled to release in 2017.

I am not a part of Akshay Kumar's 'Jolly LLB 2', tweets Sonakshi Sinha!

Ever since it was publicized that Akshay Kumar might be roped in to play the lead role in Jolly LLB 2, the sequel to Arshad Warsi-starrer Jolly LLB, there were news that Sonakshi Sinha, who had shared screen space with Akshay in movies like Rowdy Rathore and Holiday, will be starring opposite him in the legal comedy.

But, Sonakshi took to her Twitter page to reveal that she is not a part of the movie and that she just has Noor in her kitty as of now, in which she will play a Pakistani reporter. Apart from Noor, Sonakshi will also be seen in Force 2, in which she will play a RAW agent and Akira, which is an action film.

Sonakshi made her Bollywood debut with Dabangg opposite Salman Khan.