Anil Kapoor has entertained audiences as an actor for almost decades, while his nephew Arjun Kapoor has made a mark in the industry over the past five years. Though the two are collaborating for the first time for Anees Bazmee's Mubarakan, the chacha-bhatija camaraderie and comfort is evident. In a free-flowing chat with BT, the actors talk about sharing screen space for the first time, how Anil was unaware of the ambitions of the children in the Kapoor khandan and how it's high time boys, and not girls, got married first. Read on...

Anil, you have seen Arjun grow up and now, you are playing uncle-nephew in Mubarakan. So, will your real-life camaraderie spill over onto the screen as well?
Anil: I already share a great rapport with Arjun. Of course, I have been a workaholic and I haven't seen my own children growing up so, I can't claim that I have seen him grow up. Our relationship is such that I started calling him Arjun chachu when he was a kid. Even my kids call him chachu or chach.
Arjun: He himself has not grown up, so, how will he see his children growing up (laughs)? Also, I was the sorted and quiet one. I was always too mature for my age, so, the 'chachu' tag just stuck with me.
Anil: Isse pehle yeh mujhe chachu bole, maine ise chachu bana diya. In fact, his name is stored as Arjun Chachu on everybody' s mobile phones.

Arjun has often said that he never thought he would be an actor. Anil, did you ever think that Arjun would become an actor?
Anil: No, I didn't feel that way about Arjun or anybody else in my family. But Arjun always had a passion for cinema. Harsh (Harshvardhan, son) and he were crazy about films from the beginning. There is nothing else but film DVDs in their bedrooms. Arjun was an AD and he even edited Shakti (2002). So, when he became an actor, it came as a surprise. Kahin na kahin sab actor banna chahte hain. Bas, camouflage kar rahe the.
Arjun: Sonam ka to sabko dikhayi deta tha. You were not paying attention, chachu.
Anil: I guess I didn't want to pay attention that Sonam wanted to be an actor (laughs).
Arjun: Sonam had that flair, but no sane person would look at me at that time and say that I could become an actor. But you have to back yourself and take that chance. And today, it's like a victory for me that I am able to work with Anil Kapoor. He can be my chacha, but he is still Anil Kapoor, the actor. I keep telling him that the phone call he made to tell me about Mubarakan made a huge difference to me psychologically. The fact that Anil Kapoor wants to take a chance by working with a young actor like me because mere kaam mein utna dum hai is a huge compliment.

Both of you have spent time with each other on a personal level, but Arjun, what more did you discover about him on the film's set?
Arjun: He loves being a child because he gets away with all his masti. He is a chatora and a mastikhor. But what has made him survive for so long is his humility and the fact that he is a great listener. On the set, he comes with his head down to listen to everyone. He is like the teacher's pet. He always wants the director to love his shot. Or else, he will say, 'ek aur karte hain'. He becomes like a salesman on the set. He wants the director to smile after seeing the shot. When somebody asked him what has kept him so fresh all these years, he said that it's the kind of films he has done. Many people from the younger generation don't understand the value of this genre, but every time you look at his filmography, you will always remember the films that brought a smile to people's faces. These films might not be perfect, but these are the films that connect emotionally. Like a Ram Lakhan, Mr India, Welcome and No Entry. They recharge your batteries and I have grown up watching these films. I just didn't want to act in Mubarakan; I wanted to make sure everybody had a blast doing it.

Arjun has beaten both Sonam and Harsh and managed to do a film with you before they could do it...
Anil: Sonam has never wanted to do a film with me. Sunita (wife), always says that if you want to do something, you have to put it out there in the universe. Sonam is constantly putting it out there that she doesn't want to work with me.
Arjun: I think Harsh will say, 'script agar achchi hogi toh I might just work with you, dad' or he might just say, 'my agents will call you dad'. A lot of people in the fraternity and the media wanted to see our combination and I guess that's how we came together for Mubarakan.
Anil: When Mubarakan was announced many of my producer friends said, 'not fair haan, we could have done it'.

The film is all about a wedding and Anil, you said in an interview that Arjun would be the first one in the family to get married...
Arjun: While talking about his kids' weddings, he said that sabse pehle, Arjun ki shaadi will happen on July 28. Everybody has conveniently forgotten the significance of the date (Mubarakan's release date). The media thinks I've asked chachu to find a girl for me.
Anil: Arrey, sharma kyun rahe ho? Marriage is the best institution in the world. It's mind-blowing.
Arjun: Your wife will read the interview, so don't worry, chachu. She knows what you are going to say.
Anil: I want to change the way India thinks. Boys should get married before the girls in our families.