Sanjay Kapoor is taking on a new challenge in his life by turning producer for Tevar'. Starring his nephew Arjun Kapoor, and hit heroine, Sonakshi Sinha, the film has created buzz. Prior to this, Sanjay was in the limelight more so for his wife, jewelry designer Maheep Kapoor and her gang of girls' inclusive of Gauri Khan. In a candid conversation in his plush, luxurious Juhu apartment, Sanjay speaks about spending a lifetime in the film industry and amongst film folk.
You've piqued our interest with Tevar', from what I see of pictures on Sonakshi & Arjun's twitter handle, the film looks quite rustic, real and adventurous. There' s a healthy buzz around it. What made you choose this one to turn producer?
Where the script is concerned, this was a film that I was keen to do, and Arjun was keen to do this film, and was excited. When we watched Okkadu,' we quite liked it. The film's director, Amit Sharma is an ad film maker. More often than not, ad filmmakers are considered good shot takers and short story tellers. He's made ads for IDEA and Google, as if you notice, he tells a good story, an essentially Indian story in just 30 seconds.
For this kind of a film, I thought that Amit will manage creating today's look and feel, but maintain the story's essence. Besides, Arjun and Sonakshi have never worked together, but will look very together.
Because the film has all young people in the cast, there's so much interest around it. There was time in our lives, when I was in Lokhandwala staying with my parents, (the Kapoor family home), Boney had remarried and Mona was alive and I was the man of the house. So when Arjun was growing up as a teenager, he was very close to me, I saw him live his boyhood. I put him on to Karan Johar to assist him and that's how he ended up working with Nikhil Advani for Kal Ho Na Ho'.
The film also features Manoj Bajpai with whom I have worked on two films, and while shooting for J P Dutta's "LOC", we've spent a lot of quality time together (laughs). The film had so many actors, that we weren't shooting all the time during the Ladakh schedule. When you shoot in Ladakh, you don't shoot for two to three days as you need to acclimatize. We got along superbly.
Raj Babbar is playing an important role, as is Deepty Naval, in Tevar'. I have worked with both as actors before working with them as producers. Deepty played my mother in Shakti'. The only person in the team of Tevar' that I haven't worked with before is Sonakshi. But when I was training for acting, for almost a year, I had lived in Anil's home. At that time, she was very friendly with Rhea. So I have known her since that time.
So it's sort of mentoring young talent, would you say?
I wouldn't say mentoring, it's a big word. I would like to say I am part of the team. As a producer, I am as young as them! The vibe is not that of a senior, but it's friendly. Otherwise too, I've always had younger friends, or friends with my kind of thinking.
When it comes to Arjun and Sonam, both of them are doing brilliantly, and have tasted success at early stages. As their uncle, how do you feel today, when you see these little children grow up and shine in the film industry, a family business of sorts for you?
Both Arjun and Sonam, thankfully, have had very good starts and it's fantastic to see them do so well. Arjun has acted in four films, and two are hits, and one is a blockbuster.
But the credit I think should be given to them is because they are very grounded. When it comes to Sonam, Sunita and Anil need to be credited for keeping her so real. When it comes to Arjun, Boney, Sunita, and to an extent, I too can take credit. I used to be strict with him. Even today, when my daughter, Shanaya wants an Iphone, Arjun teases me that had I asked for one, you would have refused me, but I counter, that I still refuse it to her, and say it's too expensive for a child.
We've kept them grounded, and there is no attitude. Sometimes what happens to an actor is that, when an actor becomes busy, and refuses a film, some people think that they are throwing attitude. It's not attitude. Earlier people used to do 40 films- they used to do 10 films for themselves, 10-15 films for the money, and 10-15 films for the Mamas' and Chachas' (uncles). Today, even if you do one film, it's their career at stake. If Arjun has signed up Tevar, it's got nothing to do with the fact that it's my film. If he didn't like the script or director, he can't say yes to a film anymore, and it's also not always about the money. It's a much more professional industry, and today, you have to choose the right films.
You've acted in quite a few hits during your hey days- Sirf Tum, Auzaar, Raja- and also signed quite a few films then. Why have you chosen to not act now? Would you want to produce a film with your brother, Anil Kapoor, for he is also turning to production quite actively?
I will be honest, I haven't been offered anything good. See, that doesn't mean that I am hoping to get a Yeh Jawaani Hain Deewani' now "(smiles), but I like to act in roles that are interesting. For instance, for Luck by Chance', Zoya chased me up, really, for she knew me well. I was wondering why is so keen to cast me when she has a Hrithik Roshan signed up for 10 days for a significant part in the film. She can get any actor she wants. It was an ensemble cast. But she was insistent that I do it. So I heard out a narration for dialogues, and I was thrilled. If there were ten scenes in this film, these were my ten scenes.
So I would want to do good work and I am open to doing small, quality films. I would like to believe that when I acted, I did some decent films, and keeping the family name in mind, I wouldn't like to cheapen that, or embarrass my family by doing a friend's part in a big movie just for money. Everyone needs money to survive yes, but I also like being a producer. When it comes to a co production with Anil, we have never talked about it, but if a very interesting script comes our way, I would do that.
When I asked about Tevar' too, why did I cast Arjun and not Sonam, well I can't cast them opposite each other! Besides, I would not like to force anything on a film, just to fit it in. Arjun hasn't signed the film because we are related, but because it offers him a decent role, and has an interesting script. I did get asked as to why did I not choose to act in it? There's no role for me in it, it already has a great cast. So I wouldn't want to force my way in.
Your wife, Maheep, also gets a lot of media attention, due to her friendship with star wives, Gauri Khan, Seema Khan and Bhavna Pandey. Do the husbands also share a good rapport? And do you find the media attention a bit strange?
Yeah Maheep and her friends have brought us men together too, we hang out more often thanks to them. We watched the IPL finals without the wives. I am close to Sohail and Arbaaz, since I know them from Auzaar'.
She was upset to hear of Suzanne's divorce, and even more upset when she launched Bandra 190, her designer jewelry store. Maheep had worked for a year to put the store together, taken the lease with the investors and worked on all aspects. Suzanne is a part of it. But three days before it's launch, Hrithik had released a statement to the press about them splitting. And then, the entire media focus was on Suzanne. I explained to her, that, you need to accept these things.
First of all, Suzanne is Hrithik Roshan's wife, and their relationship made news. If you were to launch a store with an investor in Jaipur or Udaipur, and even if the local investor were to put in all the hard work, the centre of attention would be your involvement.
Media perception is always like this. When we made Shakti', the film featured Nana Patekar, me, Karishma Kapoor; also Shah Rukh in a special appearance. Shah Rukh has done a song in the film, and before the film release the music company was not willing to promote any other song but his song. So these things happen and you need to learn to accept it.
Final question - do you find the constant media scrutiny these days strange? How do you keep your children- Shanaya and Jahaan- grounded, like Sonam and Arjun?
When Arjun and Sonam were growing up, there wasn't so much media scrutiny. Now, if you throw a party at home for friends, the press is downstairs. So you can't escape it. Sometimes, I find it awkward too. Like Shah Rukh, I have a Peshawari' habit of walking down with my guests after a party and seeing them off. I do that all the time. And then you're a few drinks down, so while you don't want to be rude to anyone, you do want some space.
Shanaya and Jahaan study at Ecole Mondiale school where they have lots of friends from the film industry. So they can't escape the media exposure, but it depends on parents to keep them grounded. We try to inculcate that all this is part of the job, its just work for us. As a family, we have seen the biggest names in the film industry at work, so to me, that was real exposure. I am close to Chimpu Kapoor, so as a kid, I have seen Raj Kapoor at work, going to the office every day in Chembur. We ate dosas together, we spoke almost everyday. At his daughter's wedding, Amitabh Bachchan was greeting guests. So after seeing all that, this doesn't affect us.
We know that there will be pictures clicked, and media coverage of a house party. But for us, its all part of our work, we don't think we have arrived! My parents were humble, so I have never believed in superstardom.
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