Arjun Kapoor reflects on his time in the industry. By Christy Varghese
Arjun Kapoor has been in the news recently for his performance in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (SAPF). What is intriguing is the fact that the film was released in March, however, it did not start receiving critical acclaim till sometime in the last month.
After an extended break due to the pandemic, Arjun is back to the grind as Bollywood limps back to a state of normalcy. He expresses how cumbersome trivial matters, such as meetings and costume trials, have become in these times as he looks forward to the shooting for Ek Villain - Part Two to recommence this month.
While everyone has been having a hard time in some way or the other in the backdrop of the pandemic, how would you say has your life been affected? Have you picked up any new habits over the past year?
It goes without saying that this is a very tricky time. This start-stop situation is strenuous, to say the least. While we are still getting used to the fact that the pandemic is not yet over, we are learning to live with the pandemic. However, I have been able to make use of this time by engaging in introspection. I have spent a considerable amount of time in the industry without a significant break and I feel this time can be utilised positively. For me, rather than pursuing something new, it has been about going back to reconnect with my old self.
You have said that you are not a critic friendly actor. So, were you surprised by the critical acclaim Satinder ‘Pinky’ Dahiya has been receiving several months post the release of SAPF?
When you are doing a Dibakar Banerjee film you are aware that you are in for a certain amount of love from critics since his style of filmmaking catches and garners attention. There is no way to gauge how well your film will do, you can only put your best foot forward obviously and try to do justice to the role. Hoping for the best is fine, but if I do a good job, it will gain the recognition it deserves. I say I’m not a critic friendly actor only because I have been associated with a lot of mainstream cinema. SAPF is somewhere on the periphery of that category so I did not have my expectations right up there when it comes to courting attention from critics because there is a certain preconceived notion arising from the projects preceding SAPF. I was happy to see that there were no biases this time around, and people were able to see my performance for what it was. The saying goes, der aaye par durust aaye. You can never be unhappy with positive responses, even when it takes its sweet time to reach you.
Have you never had the urge to follow up on something which is not conventional?
I have always dabbled in different genres. I am pre-conceived to be mainstream but I beg to differ, I don’t think I am all that mainstream. Even if you look at Ishaqzaade, it was not mainstream, I play a grey character, to begin with. I have also done something like Aurangzeb, Finding Fanny and Ki & Ka; I think the problem lies with the mainstream nature of my personality perhaps or the choice of cinema early in my career. I have always had one foot on both sides and now with the rise of OTT platforms, the lines have been blurred between commercial and unconventional cinema.
You have starred in a wide range of cinema. We would hate to make you choose but which one would you say is your favourite among the lot?
Without my first film, I wouldn’t be here. So I have to give due regards to Ishaqzaade. The first film will always be more special than others.
From working as an assistant director to an associate producer to someone who has been bashing people and crooning in front of the camera for the masses, you have certainly come a long way. What were your goals when you first stepped into the industry, and what do you seek from life now?
The tag of associate producer was something my father was kind enough to pin on me. I assisted him with the production of two projects wherein I was looking after the logistics and just about every nitty-gritty that went on behind the scenes. Those stints made me realise the value of every person on the sets and what they bring to the table. It is not just about the actor but also the people who make sure that everything is in place for the actor, that the team is taken care of and that the schedule goes as planned. I was lucky to gain some insight into the industry, before choosing to become an actor. Honestly, back then my goals were straightforward. Agli picture mil jaaye, naukri bane rahe. Like everyone else who starts out in the industry, I was just trying to make it big in Bollywood. I never had big aspirations, I don’t think when one is starting one realises the bigger picture that life offers. I just wanted to do good work. And since my debut was under the banner of Yash Raj Films, I was confident it would do well, if not extremely well. In retrospect, I undertook this journey without much clarity on my aspirations. Even today, I still consider life to be a learning process. I am evolving and with time I am realising what films I want to do, what roles I would like to adopt outside of acting. I have never been somebody who had the bigger picture set because I feel I am someone who evolves with time.
After nine years in Bollywood, would you call yourself a veteran of the industry?
That’s eight years if you don’t take into account the past year we all spent locked down indoors. But I have been learning and I am still growing. Eight years might sound like a long time but the volume of work I have done, 14-15 films is not a lot. While I do have some valuable experience, I think I have a long way to go before I call myself a veteran.