Ram Kapoor says his weight is an advantage. The actor tells T Mukherjee that he is extremely self-critical
For over two decades, Ram Kapoor has been a prominent face on television. Now he might be getting meaty roles in movies of big banners and subsequent adulation from the audience, but he would never divorce himself from the idiot box. He rightly credits his success to television and says, “I will never turn my back at it.” But, he clearly does not fish for money and fame alone, for evidently he had taken the risk of giving up on both of them, only to evolve as an actor.
“I have been very lucky when it comes to TV. I had fame. I was making good money. I had become a brand name. I will never dare to disregard the medium. But I was stuck playing the same characters for years, and I believe that I ceased to grow as an artiste. I want to do more character roles and I will grab anything different that comes my way,” he said.
The actor finds his role model in Boman Irani. “When it comes to my future in Bollywood, I would like to be someone like Boman Irani. I look up to that man. He can make you laugh. He can make you cry. He is a great actor. like him, I want to offer my audience with as much variety as I can,” he added.
Having done successful films like Mere Dad Ki Maruti, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Udaan, the TV star had created a quintessential image of himself...an image of a stern, serious household man. But, he defies all this as he cross-dresses and dons a woman’s swim suit in Humshakals.
“My wife and children have never been this excited for any of my movies. They simply can’t wait to watch me as a woman,” he said and added, “An actor cannot afford to have inhibitions. I am conscious of my weight, but I also realise that it is the reason why my audience loves me. People make jokes and laugh and I laugh with them. I love myself,” he said.
“I have never feared criticism,” he said explaining how constructive criticism is mandatory for growth. “I am extremely critical of my own work. That is precisely the reason why I haven’t watched any of my movies apart from Udaan in a theatre. I always feel that a particular shot could have been executed better,” he shared. As grateful as he is to television, Ram Kapoor wishes to focus on what he currently has in hand.
With the promotions of Humshakals going on, he is also geared up for his upcoming ventures. “My next film is Patel Rap with Sunny leone. It is a hilarious script. Apart from that, there is another project lined up for this November will have me in a serious role,” he said.