I connected with bhaiyaji: Anil kapoor

'I connected with Bhaiyaji'

Anil Kapoor is an actor par excellence whose advancing age has not dented his enthusiasm as an actor. He has the uncanny ability to strike a balance between small experimental films like My Wife's Murder and Black & White to full blown commercial films like Welcome and Race. He is a versatile actor who can fit into any role and will now be seen in a unique villainous role in Tashan. Here's what he had to say on the newBollywood release:

What was it like to go back to Yashraj Films after the groundbreaking Lamhe 17 years ago?

Working with Yashraj Films has always been like working with family. The initial turning point of my career was Yashji's (Yash Chopra) Mashaal, where I had the opportunity to work with Dilip Kumar and I am indebted for Yashji for giving me this opportunity. Later, I did Lamhe which was such a beautiful film that people still remember today.

I have spent some great moments with them, travelling abroad and staying together. I believe that if today Bollywood is well-recognised, it's because of Yashraj. They have introduced corporate culture and disciplined professionalism in the film-making business. I am very happy to be doing a film with them once again.

So what made you return to the Yashraj camp?

When I heard the narration I instantly connected with the character of Bhaiyaji and I just felt that I should do this film. In fact, the entire script was not ready at that time but after listening to few scenes and the overall concept of the film, I just told myself that I must be a part of it.

What was so exciting about your character?

The character lives in a small town in Kanpur. He rides a rickshaw and makes a living out of it. He is ambitious and wants to make a lot of money by hook or by crook and lands up in Mumbai.

After making it big in Mumbai through illegal means, he wants to also make it big internationally but he does not know how to speak English. This is a major concern for him and he will go to any extent to get the right person to teach him English to fulfill his dream of not only becoming powerful in India but all over the world. I think Bhaiyaji's character is very interesting, funny and lovable in its own way.

Tell us about your experience while shooting the film?

I was most stressed out during the schedule in Rajasthan when I hardly slept. I had too many things on my mind during this time. I had to travel a lot between Delhi and Rajasthan, which involved travelling almost the whole night and shooting the next day. But I was told that I looked best in Rajasthan and feel happy that I fulfilled my professional commitments in spite of being physically and mentally stressed out. The film was also shot in Ladakh and Kerala but I didn't have any scenes there.

You recently scored a hit with Saif Ali Khan in Race and now you will be seen together in Tashan. How is your rapport with him?

I initially worked with Saif in Biwi No 1, where he did a guest appearance and he was going through a bad patch, but still he had a certain kind of personality that convinced me that he would make it if he was given the opportunity.

I got to know him better during the making of Tashan when we would sit together and chat, discuss and have a good laugh. It is entertaining to be with Saif as we have lots of fun.

How do you find Akshay Kumar as a co-star?

I have worked with Akshay in a couple of films and our last film, Welcome, was a huge success. He is much younger than me, but still I have learnt a lot from him. He is a very simple person with good humour and is always a pleasure to work with.

As he is very physically conscious, he likes to wake up early in the morning and get into the gym first for his workout. So I would spend the mornings with Akshay and evenings with Saif and that's the difference between Akshay and Saif. 😆

On Kareena kapoor

Anil Kapoor, who has known Kareena Kapoor since she was a child, said: "I think Kareena is one of the most beautiful and stunning-looking actresses in Bollywood. I have noticed that she has changed for the better as she is talking more about her work than food. When I worked with her in earlier films she was more concerned about what she would eat for lunch than the scenes. 😆She is now more into her work, health and the film's scripts. I get along very well with her and enjoy her company."