Shekhar Kapur (born 6 December 1945) is an Indian filmmaker and Padma Bhushan awardee (2025), BAFTA winner, and former FTII President. He gained international acclaim with Elizabeth (1998), nominated for 7 Academy Awards, and Bandit Queen (1994), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. A Chartered Accountant by training (ICAEW, England, age 22), he transitioned from management consulting to filmmaking, directing cult classics like Masoom (1983) and Mr. India (1987). He served as jury member at Cannes (2010), IFFI Chairperson (2023), and is nephew of legendary actor Dev Anand.