Interview Actor - Kunal Kapoor HindiSong.com

Movie interview: Kunal Kapoor

“I enjoy both films and theatre”

He’s the most recent addition to the list of Bollywood. Young Kunal Kapoor has seemingly reached his calling after trying and eliminating various kinds of occupations.

Isn’t it unusual to try out so many things?

Every three months I believed that something was my calling but once I started doing it I eliminated it. When I came to college I started trying out different things- like I wanted to be an architect but by the time I had reached my twelfth I had given that up, then I went into a construction company then I dabbled in the stock market then an export firm and then in a textile unit.

I was pampered and expected everything on a platter. After trying out 30 professions, I did a couple of ads one of these was for Rakesh Mehra, who was introduced to me by a friend who worked for him. He needed a guy with a beard and I had one. I did a screen test and we shot together.

And what was the first ad you did?

It was for coke. After doing it and tasting what a set felt like, I started chasing Rakesh Mehra for a very long time till he called me and said okay come and tell me what you want to do. I said I don’t know but I just want to be on a set. He said ok come and assist me. I loved the buzz and energy on a set, which I loved.

Somewhere the closet actor in me started manifesting. I assisted Rakesh in his production. After a couple of years Aks was beginning and I got to assist on it. I had decided that I wanted to be an actor. And Rakesh told me that I should then do things related to acting. During the course of Aks I was often used-I made my debut in the background of Aks.

Did you get to interact with Bachchan?

I didn’t interact much with Bachchan because I was in awe of him but Manoj Bajpai and I became friends and he told me to meet Barry John if I wanted to be an actor. When I went to Delhi I met him and stayed back and learnt with him. I did theatre with him. I am afraid that I must’ve appeared cocky at the time.

And how did films happen?

When I returned from Delhi Rakesh was auditioning at that point and he tested me and took me on. At about the same time I got a call from MF Hussein. They were testing for two characters-one comic and one serious. They gave me a script. The lines in it were very serious. I asked an Ad what I was to do and he told me make it very funny. I did it as funny as I could and Hussein saab was staring at me very strangely and asked what are you doing how did you interpret it like that. I asked it was to be funny right?

Anyway I didn’t expect to be called but the next day I got a call from them and met them again and in a weeks time I was doing a photo shoot with Tabu. Tabu was shocked that she was to work with me because her cousin is a friend of mine. She never knew that I wanted to be an actor.

Tell us about Meenaxi.

Meenaxi had a very good script and it’s turned out to be even better than the script. I had thought it might be difficult to translate it on celluloid but it turned out even better.

And MF Hussein?

He enjoys the medium so much- people think of him as a painter only but he has a great sense of the visual. Hussein saab has a great understanding of cinema. Meenaxi is a Tabu film per se but it is about 3 people Raghuvir Yadav, Tabu and myself.

Was your role difficult?

I found the role difficult initially when we discussed it-they wanted the performance to be awkward-my character was to be very thing and gangly which I was not comfortable with-I had to lose weight. But once I got into it, it was okay. The highlight of the film is the music, Santosh Sivan is absolutely great Tabu and Raghuvir are superb. I am still learning. I didn’t enjoy it initially- the shooting, there was a lot of tension in me. But I am growing comfortable by the day. Performing in front of people doesn’t bother me. I guess that’s what being an actor is about. I think all actors are deprived people and attention seekers.

We shot in 50 plus days- we shot in Prague, in Jaisalmer in Hyderabad, Husain saab has produced it himself, every frame is like a painting. Frankly I am not into art so I couldn’t comment on his painter. To me everyone on the set was looking and behaving like a painter. During Aks everyone was sporting a French beard like Amitabh and laughing like Manoj Bajpai!

I am now doing a film with Rakesh Mehra called Rang de basanti’ there are four boys in it. It should be announced soon. Mehra is working on the script. I don’t know what I have learnt from working on Aks but one is learning subconsciously. I was an assistant director on the film and I’d like to direct sometime but there is a lot to telling a story and I’d certainly like to do it at some point.

You are doing theatre too?

With Naseeruddin I am doing The Prophet- I play a little ward boy. I am also doing a couple of short stories of Manto-in Manto I play the sutradhar. I am enjoying theatre but it’s a little scary because there are no retakes but it’s enjoyable. It’s great working with Naseerbhai, he is especially encouraging, and he’s a taskmaster. Earlier Randeep Hooda [Monsoon wedding] was doing the role and I was his understudy. Now I am doing it.

Which medium is more satisfying?

I enjoy both films and theatre-at this point I am unable to decide what I like better. I am learning from being in both the mediums and I want to assimilate all I can.