It's not often that an actor can re-invent himself after four decades and land the role of a lifetime. Rishi Kapoor has done just that. He spoke to NDTV's Sonia Singh and answered questions from viewers on Your Call.
It's not often that an actor can re-invent himself after four decades and land the role of a lifetime. Rishi Kapoor has done just that. He spoke to NDTV's Sonia Singh and answered questions from viewers on Your Call.
Building up confidence to play Rauf Lala: See, It's like this. I thought that if I, I didn't have the confidence to play this role. To be honest I didn't feel I would do justice to it. So, what I said was that I need a kind of a, let's say an audition. I would like to see if I kind of look the part, whether I'll be able to carry it off, because I somewhere down felt that if I didn't carry it off, I thought the film would fail. People will laugh at me. I'll probably look like a Walt Disney villain, you know, comedian more than anything else. So, and that was at the back of my mind. Then of course once we started getting into the film, the director was in control of the make. He knew exactly what he wanted. He was very clear in his mind and his vision actually helped me sail through.
Advice from Neetu and Ranbir? I can't really remember, but yes I did say to them that I am playing a negative character. They say, so what. I am an actor and actors should be willing to play all kind of roles.
From chocolate-boy to evil: So, I convinced them. I said, listen what you have seen me now is romantic, which over the years I have played, you know. All my years as a leading actor, I was only running around trees and singing songs and romancing the heroine. I said, now given a chance I should be able to, the actor within me should be allowed to, you know, to experiment with myself or re-invent myself. So, when I explained to them, as I should be allowed, and you should see me as an actor, not image as a star and I am no more young, I am no more thin, I am no more anything required of being. And you know, they kind of felt that I was saying the right thing, and then, you know all these small things attributed to encourage me to take it up.
‘I hated you': Among all the SMS's and phone calls and everything, from so many people, I probably think whomsoever I know in the film industry probably may have messaged me. But immediately that comes to my mind what Waheeda Rehman ji actually has sent to me. She just said, she smsed me 'I hated you'. That was so sweet of her.
NDTV.com surfers pick golden oldies Karz , Bobby and Amar, Akbar Anthony as top 3: You know, I really can't, you know, make favorites out of them. But I do feel Prem Rog and Damini should have been in the list as well. I, I have fancied these films and of course Chandini is a good film as well. Well, I think, being hero-oriented films, they were all, you know, basically hero-oriented films. I felt, I felt my work was not bad at all in those kinds of films. Well, I don't know, I am very embarrassed to name my work. Whatever, I always look forward to new films, always look forward to new challenges. I am looking forward to few of my films, which are under production right now, and they will release this year and they are also very exciting. And of course, very scary that you going to live up to a certain kind of, some kind of what the audience expect out of me.
On growing up thinking, talking and dreaming movies: Probably, it's audiences love for us, or whatever blessings or whatever, I really can't say what it is really. But surely one thing that it's been about 80 years, we have been at this job and proud to say, that right now it's the fourth male generation who is actually in the entertainment world, and we hold a record. There is no one else in the world who has ever been for generations in this show business, and that is also films. Well I am absolutely honoured to be a part of this film family, I mean, who else but me, that my Father, my Grandfather and now my son have been in this. It is a very good feeling. And yes it is.
This generation doesn't need guidance: I don't think Ranbir has ever discussed work with me ever. What I truly must tell you is that Ranbir, when he was starting out, he told this to his mother that he doesn't want to play the typical, you know, the cap twisted this way, you know, basket ball in his hand, skate board here, 40 dancers behind in a situation. He wanted to play his age in a different kind of way in different films. He was on a different curve altogether to speak and that's what he did. That's how he experimented himself by doing films like Wake up Sid and salesman of the year Rocket Singh<, and perhaps Rajneeti. Played negative shades in Rockstar or Ajab Gajab, whatever, those were his choices. I have no say in his creatives at all, and that's why I probably think audiences have liked his guts to actually, you know, not go on the warpath. You wanted to do something different.
The 30-year love story: What is there to say, you know, things happen, love happens. It's not that you plan it. It just happened. Perhaps you were talking all the time together, you are doing two shifts a day, I worked 11 films, 12 films now with Neetu, and those days, you know, I found that she was a person who was going to be a part of my life and it just happened. It happened, but then I wouldn't propose to her, you know, and then my elder sister, knowing that I am not going to do that, she secretly planned our engagement here in Delhi. I had actually come here for somebody else's engagement, and she quietly called for Neetu and her mother, my mother-in-law. She quietly called for them, and of course having my parents in confidence and everything, immediately made me sit in someone else's engagement and got me engaged.
I see Neetu in Ranbir: Well not to sound very pompous but I do feel that he has this, he probably has the same passion for acting as what I have. My passion, my absolute sincerity, my dedication towards the craft, that I call acting. I feel that he is dedicated to those skills. I feel that he takes it very seriously. But I do feel one thing that, which he hasn't built up, is that he hasn't yet mustered enough courage to do very messy roles. You know, we know, that he is a reasonably good actor, but I want him to do now films that will go beyond just multiplexes.
And go to small cities and small, you know he must take up those roles which he hasn't yet, but I believe he is thinking of, you know, trying to work on that, so I see that in him. I see a lot of Neetu in him. I don't see myself in him. That's what people say that.
