'I told Akshay Kumar Dekh bhai, main kisika chamcha nahi hoon' - Anil Kapoor
Speaking to Stardust , actor Anil Kapoor speaks about his films, family, production company.
How come did you agree to work with Abbas-Mustan for Race 2 when your daughter's first outing with them, Players, bombed so badly at the box office?
I was always committed to Race 2. Mine is one of the few characters that move from the first film to the second with some progression. Abbas-Mustan didn't approach Sonam directly for Players. They came to me. I didn't find anything wrong with their film and so, I gave her the go-ahead. So what if it flopped? How unprofessional would it have sounded if I walked out of a film because the directors of that film cast my daughter in a film of theirs that unfortunately for all of us tanked?
Didn't your kids mind you being paired with Ameesha Patel who is dressed in clothes inches above her knees throughout the film?
Ameesha is playing a cute and sexy girl. She's a talented actress. They know she was playing a role and not really trying to titillate their father (laughs). After working with her, I firmly believe she hasn't got her dues. She has maintained herself really well. She's our Paris Hilton. This film will give her career a strong push. š¤£
With Shootout At Wadala, do you expect yourself to take home a National Award and silence some wagging tongues?
I've won three National Awards in the past. šBut I won't say I'd not like to have another one. I've also won an award from The Screen Actors' Guild which is a big deal for an Indian because the panellists there are actors from around the world. India doesn't have such a system of awarding talent which has come from abroad. Do you think an Indian film with Americans, Africans and Japanese will fetch its actors an award from India? I've been fortunate.
Fine! Today, do you think you have the tenacity to be a producer and deal with all odd errands which most producers run while making a film?
I can't do chamchagiri for an actor to cast him in my movie. I'm straight and I prefer keeping business straight. And I can't stand actors who accept or reject a film and ensure they grab gossip magazine headlines for that. I've cast Akshaye Khanna in three films of mine. People wonder how. But let me tell you, he and I share a common passion for cinema. And I'm clear I want to work with such actors only. Once Akshay Kumar had asked me why I wasn't asking him to work with me. I just told him, "Dekh bhai, main kisika chamcha nahi hoon. I need the same kind of passion in an actor. If we have that, we'll work together." I can't beg and plead, neither will I lick an actor's feet to cast him.
This year was superb for your family. Sridevi made a comeback and Arjun made his debut. What do you make of that?
Arjun deserves whatever he's got. He's got our goodwill and our blessings by his side. His mother is watching over him from the heaven. He's made the family proud. He should just maintain it and not let it hit his head because that's when an actor's downfall begins. Sridevi's comeback was overwhelming for all of us. She effortlessly sacrificed everything' her name, her stardom, her status. She left when she was at a peak. She made every effort to become part of the Kapoors. She committed herself to the family, stood by it through thick and thin. Not once did she look behind and crib about what she had lost in the bargain. I hope she never changes as a woman. God has been kind to her for that effort she made to make all of us her own.
We haven't spoken about your son Harshvardhan. Is he planning to direct or act?
Harsh is young and he is still trying to figure what he wants to do. I don't want to rush him through things. You never know he may want to become a writer and an actor together. He's too young, but he's already written his first script and he's extreme;y passionate about it. I think more than working for my company; he wants to be on his own.
And do we see Sonam and you in a film together?
Ek jhakaas script to aane de!
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