tional with Slumdog Millionaire, he has time and again proven his critics wrong and wormed into the hearts of his audience. When he had turned producer for Gandhi My Father, a critically acclaimed film, he had humbly said, “I have put in all my experiences of being in this industry and tried to put an emotional as well as an intriguing tale. Hope you guys have liked it?” Anil has also been very supportive to his daughter Sonam Kapoor’s acting aspirations. “More than being nervous as a father I am very happy to watch her on the silver screen. It gives me immense pleasure to watch my daughter having performed so very exuberantly. Today it makes me feel Sonam has grown up. And I am all ready to give her away to the world, where she can fulfil her duties and make me proud, as well as all the other people who are involved in making her excel in Bollywood.” Like a good father he always opined that his kids need to make it up the hard way. Asked about his son, Harshvardhan Kapoor who makes his debut with Mirziya and not launched in a comfortable home production, he says, “I wanted him to pursue his choice whatever it may be. Be it acting, writing or direction. I am not the one who was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and so I wanted him also to come up the hard way, through the never ending learning process. I am not going to invest for him and give him everything on the platter.” About having innovated on his look onscreen time and again, he shares, “All the films we have made, there was a conscious decision to be ahead of time. Hence, people can even watch those films today and get entertained. I’ve changed my look for so many films.” Sharing about how he did it differently in various films, he confesses, “For Lamhe, I removed my moustache, then for 1942: A Love Story, I cut my hair short, and changed the whole look. But in those times the media didn’t pay attention. During 1942: A Love Story, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and I decided, let’s call the media, I’m changing my whole look, but there was nobody apart from me and him, and now some actor just starts wearing an earring and media creates a hype.” About the younger generation of actors following in his footsteps, he says, “I like it when people think someone has followed me, like while films like Koi Mil Gaya or My Name is Khan released, people told me they were reminded of my role in Eeshwar, I felt good.” About not getting bogged down by defeats, he opines, “Definitely, I am not the one who will sit down and feel defeated if any of my films may have not done well at the box office. I have innumerable ideas, which will go up one by one through Anil Kapoor Productions. My experiences have encouraged me to face every kind of challenges. I believe in working in good as well as odd circumstances.” Unaffected by hits and flops he adds, “Hits and flops is a part and parcel of our profession. I do feel bad while some of my films did not do well at the box office. As a producer my films did not do well but then I always like to find out what may have gone wrong. I always agree to the judgment of my audiences as I know they are the ones who have made me the actor that I am today.” How was the response to Season 1 of 24? “I am happy with the response. People wave at me, while I visit cinema halls. They come up to me wishing to watch more of me. With all their praises, I feel I need to work harder to satisfy my audiences. This serial could be possible because of my director, my colleagues and the entire team. The power of television reach is magnanimously huge.” Anil Kapoor has stayed away from television for a long time, but then decided that he would enter TV with 24. Why 24? “Role, story and the script. These are the three things that an actor needs. Add to that there are fabulous makers behind it, I have great directors on board, the coactors with me on the show are the best. There are times in any film or TV show, something is missing. But then I find nothing amiss here. Everything seems to be so perfectly in place. I think it is the best role I have ever done in my entire career including my films. It is wonderful how the story moves within the space of 24 hours. That kind of thrill and drama is unimaginable,” says Kapoor. Strange coming from a man who has essayed roles in almost every genre in the film industry and hence has a longevity few actors can boast of. “I have done a Welcome or a Welcome Back and have tried to balance that with a 24 and a Dil Dhadakne Do. I have done light hearted films and then I have gone in for a film like Virasat and one like Nayak as well. That is because I never wanted to be bogged down in an image. It is very easy to think that if I am doing well in a particular genre, I should shut up and do more films like that and make a lot of money. In the bargain, in fact, I have lost out a lot not just financially, but on my stardom as well when I have attempted offbeat roles. I know it has not been the best to happen to my career, but I have been satisfied with my work and that for me is sacrosanct,” avers the actor. And that is one reason why Kapoor does not care much about then wags that say that the television rating points of Season 1 of 24 did not make the cut. “I used to get affected earlier when people said these things. I would sometimes react to those comments and remarks. But now, I have let it go. I am working for the audience. If the audience wants to say anything about me or my work, let them do so,” he signs off. Page 14 www.saindiamagazine.com
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