Posted:
Arjun Kapoor: I think being single is a crime
Madhureeta Mukherjee| TNN | May 15, 2016, 01.00 AM IST
He sings "Main hoon superman..." with pure filmi flamboyance. Yet, he knows that even with ripped muscles and a body suit, he can't take you on a flight of fantasy. But he possesses other ammo, or let's just say superpowers of a different kind. More human, maybe. He is a realist, a man with a terrific sense of humour who can laugh at himself. That's what makes Arjun Kapoor immensely likeable. He's unconventionally good looking. Tucked behind his machismo and the shadow of his stubble is a cute boyishness that makes him truly attractive. There is never a blah moment while talking to him, and like a "thoroughbred filmi" he can woo the media and tackle the trolls with equal candour and ease. Bravo. And oh, he's deceptive, too. His droopy eyes make you think that he's distracted, but no, he's all there. Relaxed, but smooth and spontaneous, his mind is racing as he talks about...
Four years of success, stardom and some heartbreak too...
It feels like 20 years, though it's only been four. My first film, 'Ishaqzaade', did well and I got four damn good films because of it. With 'Aurangzeb', I just knew that the film wasn't going to work; though I think it was one of my most underrated performances. I did the film too early in my career, but I stand by it. Back then, its failure didn't shake my confidence, as I was sure about 'Gunday', 'Finding Fanny' and '2 States'. In the last three years, there has been a sudden burst of accepting new concepts, so if the film was made today, its fate would have been different.
I trusted my instinct about 'Ki & Ka', so I decided to turn co-producer for the first time. Without boasting I can say that I feel validated. I give my dad (Boney Kapoor) utmost credit for my business acumen. It is in my blood. I am a thoroughbred filmi ghoda. Today, actors have to be as much a producer's actor as a director's actor. Given the amount of money we charge, we dare not be unprofessional. It is our face and we stand to gain the most.
A film that shook his ground...
The flop that hit me was 'Tevar'. It felt like someone knocked the wind out of me. When you do a home production, it always hurts more. I wasn't ready to accept that 'Tevar' didn't do well. During 'Aurangzeb' I was prepared for it. It took me three months after release to come to terms with it. 'Tevar' was emotionally more overwhelming as I got written off after it. A lot of people very silently put their hands up and said... we can't back him anymore. Suddenly, I had no film and the last one was a flop. The perception is ...achcha yeh supporting ban sakta hai, it didn't happen but it could go to that extreme. Then I signed a film with R Balki who is known for his unique films and I told myself that I don't care what the world thinks but I will do this. When nobody backed me, then I backed myself and I don't blame them for it. That is how the industry works. After 'Tevar', I am better prepared to deal with failure.
Shifting gears and revving up his career to turn director...
I was always preparing to be a director; I am still doing that vehemently. This is all a means to an end. I didn't even know I would be an actor; I always wanted to be a cameraman. I was obsessed with Baba Azmi, and I would sit in the camera trolley all day while he shot for 'Prem' and 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja'. I struggled to start writing a script, but I can't put a page down without hating it. Direction is my calling. At 21, I was thinking of directing my first film, though I think I would have made a rubbish film then. I think you need to experience life a little more to make a movie. At 30, I am sensitised to what is happening around me and I am a lot less gimmicky. I'm glad it didn't work out then, otherwise Hindustan ko bahut badi flop milti.
His more love, less hate relationship with the media...
The media has been very pro me, that's also the reason I feel the audience has been pro me. I meet the media mostly during movie promotions, and the problem is that we never have enough time. Like today, the way I am talking to you, it is more like a genuine conversation than an interview. I understand that the relationship between the media and an actor is give and take. I cannot pretend that mujhe inki zaroorat nahi hai and vice-versa. There will be ups and downs like in any relationship, but the fact remains that as long as we are going to be in this profession we have to work around it, so we might as well enjoy it.
Deceptive looks...
Well, I have a face that is very deceptive, and sometimes, I look disinterested, angry and arrogant. I don't know why. I am guessing because I have a deadpan look and droopy eyes. Also because my face is like that, I've played intense characters, but it doesn't mean I am really the person that you see in my movies. If you hang around with me you will realise that I am closer to my character in 'Ki & Ka' and '2 States'. I am genuinely not the angry young man that people think I am. I am actually damn funny but nobody gets to see that.
Man enough to mangle the mean tweets...
How can these faceless people typing nonsense on social media anger me? What have they done in their life? I laugh at it. They are probably frustrated and it gives them a kick. I have dealt with so much worse in my life, nobody can fathom that. I know we all have a story and I'm not the only one, but I have seen enough in life to ignore some childish tweets. I have been called fat and ugly for so long, even when I was not on social media. You need to have a sense of humour to be in this industry, as everybody will have an opinion about you and we can't react to everything.
Social media is addictive, but it makes stars non-exclusive...
I agree that we have sold our soul to social media. I resisted it for long as I knew I have an addictive personality. Now, I am really active. Yes, I wouldn't want to put my life on a platter and serve it to the audience, but I also don't have these notions about being an elusive star. Anyway, we will never have that exclusivity that the previous generation of actors had. Earlier, to catch a glimpse of a star was such a big deal. That is why actors are called stars, as they don't come down to the earth. Now, we actors are coming to you (the media). We are on reality shows, and every party we go to gets covered. That sheen of stardom is gone now. It would be foolish to blame the media. It is a result of progression. Whether it is for better or worse is a different debate, so we rather accept it than fight it.
Never taking stardom for granted and resting on the armchair of a filmi legacy...
I have never taken my stardom for granted. Or the fact that my father is a producer. He has provided me with what a father is supposed to and has given me his name. I am proud of that name. I have got a lot of love and respect from the industry because of him, and it has opened doors for me. But now, I have to follow my own path, create my own life and make him proud. My father says that he loves being told that he's my father. If he feels that way, I am happy. I think people will not judge me for whose son I am, but for the person I am.
A long line of link-ups. Being single ain't easy...
I think being single is a crime. I have committed a sin by being single (laughs). I can't be written about for saying hello to people and having casual conversations with them. How much will I justify? I am going to go out as a young guy and live my life; people should be allowed to do that. The conclusion of every conversation with the opposite sex can't always lead to a relationship. At times, there is a lot implied by the media in jest, and you think it is harmless. You can discuss someone's work, but it is not harmless to discuss someone's personal life as frivolously as it has happened in my case in the last six-eight months. Also, because I have not reacted to it and laughed it off, it doesn't mean that I'm not irritated about it. I didn't think the repercussions of being silent would be so much. Also, I think I am the only single one left, so I am linked with anyone (grins). The insinuations are upsetting, the generic conversations are not. As long as you don't hit below the belt, it is okay, but the insinuations are bulls**t.
Bonhomie with the boys...
Whether it is Ranveer (Singh), Varun (Dhawan) or Ranbir (Kapoor), I really get along with these boys. Our bonhomie is rare. I look out for Varun like he is my younger brother, and I am close to his elder brother Rohit, too. And we all know that Ranbir is the torchbearer of change when it comes to young actors. I also have amazing friends around me like Kunal Rawal, Aarti Shetty and Abhishek Varman who are honest and realistic. In fact, I have chosen friends who only put me down. They make me believe that my career is going to get over tomorrow (laughs). But really, I'm glad to have honest people around me as it's easy to get carried away with success. I would love to do an 'Ocean's Eleven' kind of film with all of us " Ranbir, Ranveer, Varun and me. It might not get made but just one day of shooting will be a blast.
Four years of success, stardom and some heartbreak too...
It feels like 20 years, though it's only been four. My first film, 'Ishaqzaade', did well and I got four damn good films because of it. With 'Aurangzeb', I just knew that the film wasn't going to work; though I think it was one of my most underrated performances. I did the film too early in my career, but I stand by it. Back then, its failure didn't shake my confidence, as I was sure about 'Gunday', 'Finding Fanny' and '2 States'. In the last three years, there has been a sudden burst of accepting new concepts, so if the film was made today, its fate would have been different.
I trusted my instinct about 'Ki & Ka', so I decided to turn co-producer for the first time. Without boasting I can say that I feel validated. I give my dad (Boney Kapoor) utmost credit for my business acumen. It is in my blood. I am a thoroughbred filmi ghoda. Today, actors have to be as much a producer's actor as a director's actor. Given the amount of money we charge, we dare not be unprofessional. It is our face and we stand to gain the most.
A film that shook his ground...
The flop that hit me was 'Tevar'. It felt like someone knocked the wind out of me. When you do a home production, it always hurts more. I wasn't ready to accept that 'Tevar' didn't do well. During 'Aurangzeb' I was prepared for it. It took me three months after release to come to terms with it. 'Tevar' was emotionally more overwhelming as I got written off after it. A lot of people very silently put their hands up and said... we can't back him anymore. Suddenly, I had no film and the last one was a flop. The perception is ...achcha yeh supporting ban sakta hai, it didn't happen but it could go to that extreme. Then I signed a film with R Balki who is known for his unique films and I told myself that I don't care what the world thinks but I will do this. When nobody backed me, then I backed myself and I don't blame them for it. That is how the industry works. After 'Tevar', I am better prepared to deal with failure.
Shifting gears and revving up his career to turn director...
I was always preparing to be a director; I am still doing that vehemently. This is all a means to an end. I didn't even know I would be an actor; I always wanted to be a cameraman. I was obsessed with Baba Azmi, and I would sit in the camera trolley all day while he shot for 'Prem' and 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja'. I struggled to start writing a script, but I can't put a page down without hating it. Direction is my calling. At 21, I was thinking of directing my first film, though I think I would have made a rubbish film then. I think you need to experience life a little more to make a movie. At 30, I am sensitised to what is happening around me and I am a lot less gimmicky. I'm glad it didn't work out then, otherwise Hindustan ko bahut badi flop milti.
His more love, less hate relationship with the media...
The media has been very pro me, that's also the reason I feel the audience has been pro me. I meet the media mostly during movie promotions, and the problem is that we never have enough time. Like today, the way I am talking to you, it is more like a genuine conversation than an interview. I understand that the relationship between the media and an actor is give and take. I cannot pretend that mujhe inki zaroorat nahi hai and vice-versa. There will be ups and downs like in any relationship, but the fact remains that as long as we are going to be in this profession we have to work around it, so we might as well enjoy it.
Deceptive looks...
Well, I have a face that is very deceptive, and sometimes, I look disinterested, angry and arrogant. I don't know why. I am guessing because I have a deadpan look and droopy eyes. Also because my face is like that, I've played intense characters, but it doesn't mean I am really the person that you see in my movies. If you hang around with me you will realise that I am closer to my character in 'Ki & Ka' and '2 States'. I am genuinely not the angry young man that people think I am. I am actually damn funny but nobody gets to see that.
Man enough to mangle the mean tweets...
How can these faceless people typing nonsense on social media anger me? What have they done in their life? I laugh at it. They are probably frustrated and it gives them a kick. I have dealt with so much worse in my life, nobody can fathom that. I know we all have a story and I'm not the only one, but I have seen enough in life to ignore some childish tweets. I have been called fat and ugly for so long, even when I was not on social media. You need to have a sense of humour to be in this industry, as everybody will have an opinion about you and we can't react to everything.
Social media is addictive, but it makes stars non-exclusive...
I agree that we have sold our soul to social media. I resisted it for long as I knew I have an addictive personality. Now, I am really active. Yes, I wouldn't want to put my life on a platter and serve it to the audience, but I also don't have these notions about being an elusive star. Anyway, we will never have that exclusivity that the previous generation of actors had. Earlier, to catch a glimpse of a star was such a big deal. That is why actors are called stars, as they don't come down to the earth. Now, we actors are coming to you (the media). We are on reality shows, and every party we go to gets covered. That sheen of stardom is gone now. It would be foolish to blame the media. It is a result of progression. Whether it is for better or worse is a different debate, so we rather accept it than fight it.
Never taking stardom for granted and resting on the armchair of a filmi legacy...
I have never taken my stardom for granted. Or the fact that my father is a producer. He has provided me with what a father is supposed to and has given me his name. I am proud of that name. I have got a lot of love and respect from the industry because of him, and it has opened doors for me. But now, I have to follow my own path, create my own life and make him proud. My father says that he loves being told that he's my father. If he feels that way, I am happy. I think people will not judge me for whose son I am, but for the person I am.
A long line of link-ups. Being single ain't easy...
I think being single is a crime. I have committed a sin by being single (laughs). I can't be written about for saying hello to people and having casual conversations with them. How much will I justify? I am going to go out as a young guy and live my life; people should be allowed to do that. The conclusion of every conversation with the opposite sex can't always lead to a relationship. At times, there is a lot implied by the media in jest, and you think it is harmless. You can discuss someone's work, but it is not harmless to discuss someone's personal life as frivolously as it has happened in my case in the last six-eight months. Also, because I have not reacted to it and laughed it off, it doesn't mean that I'm not irritated about it. I didn't think the repercussions of being silent would be so much. Also, I think I am the only single one left, so I am linked with anyone (grins). The insinuations are upsetting, the generic conversations are not. As long as you don't hit below the belt, it is okay, but the insinuations are bulls**t.
Bonhomie with the boys...
Whether it is Ranveer (Singh), Varun (Dhawan) or Ranbir (Kapoor), I really get along with these boys. Our bonhomie is rare. I look out for Varun like he is my younger brother, and I am close to his elder brother Rohit, too. And we all know that Ranbir is the torchbearer of change when it comes to young actors. I also have amazing friends around me like Kunal Rawal, Aarti Shetty and Abhishek Varman who are honest and realistic. In fact, I have chosen friends who only put me down. They make me believe that my career is going to get over tomorrow (laughs). But really, I'm glad to have honest people around me as it's easy to get carried away with success. I would love to do an 'Ocean's Eleven' kind of film with all of us " Ranbir, Ranveer, Varun and me. It might not get made but just one day of shooting will be a blast.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Arjun-Kapoor-I-think-being-single-is-a-crime/articleshow/52257233.cms
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