Anil Kapoor is one of Bollywood's finest actors, who has been on the scene for more than two decades. It is his talent, hard work and determination that keep him in the ranks of the best in the business.
Last year was an eventful one for Kapoor as he became an independent producer with his maiden critically-acclaimed venture, Gandhi My Father, and starred in the biggest grosser of his career, Welcome, that won him tremendous applause.
In addition, his daughter Sonam Kapoor made a striking debut in Saawariya and that has made him a proud
father. Suddenly Anil is in the thick of the action with his three big films, Black & White, Race and Tashan scheduled to be released soon.
Kapoor opened up tabloid! about his films, future plans and his daughter's debut as an actress.
Coming from a mainstream cinema background, what made you opt for a subject such as Mahatma Gandhi's
personal life for your debut film production?
I believe there is no such thing as mainstream or art cinema. There is either a good subject or not. Actually it was Feroze Abbas Khan who came to me with the story of Gandhi My Father. As soon as I read the script, I realised that it was an extraordinary tale of Gandhi and his troubled relationship with his son Harilal.
The script moved me immensely and it literally brought tears to my eyes. Actually, whenever I heard the script it touched my heart and made me realise what a great man Mahatma Gandhi was. He made a great sacrifice on a personal level to ensure India's freedom and this aspect of Gandhi is literally unknown to most Indians. I got my immediate family involved as they also liked the script immensely. They encouraged
me to produce this great epic story and they are proud that I opted for such a subject as my first production.
Did your experience in being part of your family's home productions come in handy?
Definitely. All the experience was useful while producing this film. My father and brother (Surinder and Boney Kapoor) have been making films for decades, and I used to be involved in some aspects of film production while it was usually Boney who handles the entire production. So, it was my first experience in independently taking care of every aspect of film production.
What's next in your production plans?
I have already started my second film which is called Shortcut and it stars Akshaye Khanna once again, who bowled me over with his performance in Gandhi My Father. For starters we are planning to release the English version of Gandhi My Father in the international market and then plan the release of Shortcut.
With your film production house taking off, do you still get excited about acting after more than 25 years in the business?
I am still excited about acting despite doing the job for more than 25 years. In fact I am more excited than before as I am getting interesting roles to play. In the past I have had my share of successes, but I have played a number of monotonous characters. Currently, I am receiving exciting offers and getting opportunities to play characters that I haven't attempted before. So I will continue to dabble in film
production and acting.
So what's your latest film Black & White all about?
The film deals with terrorism but most importantly looks into the reasons behind it. The film looks from the human point of view and delves into the mind of a suicide bomber. I play a professor who starts to influence the thoughts of the suicide bomber played by debutant Anurag Sinha. I think it is an important and honest film made by Subhash Ghai.
What are your other forthcoming films?
After Black & White, I have Race that is to be released shortly and is directed by Abbas-Mustan. It is a multi-star, slick thriller in a complete commercial format and I play the interesting character of a witty detective who has his own sense of humour. Besides, I have Yashraj's Tashan which is again a multi-star, big-budget action flick and once again I have an interesting character in this film. Finally there is
Subhash Ghai's Yuvraj that is scheduled before year-end. The best part about all these films is that my characters are entirely different from one another.
On sonam's acting debut
Anil Kapoor said of his daughter: "It's a great feeling to see Sonam make her debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya. Initially, I thought she would get into film direction but she took me by surprise by opting for an acting career. I was very happy with her performance and the positive response she has received so far. I am sure she will be able to handle stardom very well as she is a mature girl.”
