Ishaqzaada Arjun Kapoor Scores a Dashing 30

Six films old, Arjun Kapoor blows out 30 candles on June 26. To celebrate this milestone birthday, we take a look at his journey so far.

This image was posted on Instagram by Arjun Kapoor

Arjun was born in the famous Kapoor family on June 26, 1985 to parents Boney and Mona Shourie Kapoor in Mumbai. He went the Arya Vidya Mandir in Chembur before quitting school in standard 11.

This image was posted on Instagram by Arjun Kapoor

Arjun shares a very special bond with sister Anshula Kapoor.

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He is also the nephew of veteran actor Anil Kapoor and cousin to actress Sonam and producer Rhea Kapoor.

This image was posted on Instagram by Arjun Kapoor

"A very happy fat kid," as he described himself, Arjun weighed 140 kgs before losing weight for his Bollywood debut.

This image was posted on Instagram by Arjun Kapoor

The actor, who wanted to be a director since the age of 14, assisted Nikhil Advani on Kal Ho Na Ho in 2003, receiving his first pay-check from Dharma Productions.

He met Salman Khan while working as an assistant producer on father Boney Kapoor-produced No Entry, who soon turned out to be his "elder brother" and mentor for life. He also assisted on movies like Salaam-E-Ishq and Wanted.

This image was posted on Twitter by Arjun Kapoor

Having shed those extra kilos completely, a toned and dashing Arjun Kapoor made his debut as a fearless brat from Uttar Pradesh in the 2012 hit Ishaqzaade, starring Parineeti Chopra, also making her debut. The movie won him the Zee Cine Awards for the Best Male Debut and Stardust Awards in the Superstar of Tomorrow category.

However, Arjun's next movie Aurangzeb, which featured him in dual roles, was a major failure at the box office.

The actor made a comeback with the 2014 hit Gunday, with his power-packed performance as unabashed goon Bala. Arjun also shared screen space with Ranveer Singh in the movie, a jodi that has created one of Bollywood's most entertaining partnerships since Amitabh Bachchan-Shashi Kapoor.

This image was posted on Twitter by Arjun Kapoor

Arjun's performance in 2014's 2 States, opposite Alia Bhatt, was singled out for praise.

The actor also appeared in Homi Adajania's 2014 comedy-drama Finding Fanny in a quirky role. He starred opposite Deepika Padukone as a mechanic in the movie.

Arjun Kapoor's 2015 movie Tevar, set in Agra and Mathura, saw him romancing Sonakshi Sinha for the first time. His character Pintoo was a charming and indifferent fellow who falls in love with Radhika (Sonakshi Sinha). But the movie failed to perform at the box office.

This image was posted on Twitter by Arjun Kapoor

He also braved searing comments from a panel full of comedians, along with friend Ranveer Singh, in the controversial AIB Roast. Later however, he was "scolded" by Aamir Khan, who found the show quite offensive.

Recently, Arjun Kapoor hosted the 17th IIFA Awards with his Gunday co-star Ranveer Singh and was applauded for their entertaining antics.

This image was posted on Instagram by Arjun Kapoor

Arjun appeared on the cover of GQ Magazine in January 2015 as "the unexpected movie star", and was also cited among the GQ 50 Best Dressed Men.

Presently, the actor is busy shooting for R Balki's yet-untitled film, in which he will star opposite Kareena Kapoor.

This image was posted on Instagram by Arjun Kapoor

And here's to wishing the actor a very Happy Birthday!