Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 24, 2019)

On Day three of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Anil Kapoor walked on to the stage for a session titled Director’s Actor. The actor, looking jhakaas in a white polo tee, was welcomed to the chants of ‘Dhina dhin dha’. He was also accompanied by director Anees Bazmee for the session, which was moderated by Tisca Chopra. Read on...

‘JAB TAK DIRECTOR KO MAZAA NAHIN AAYE, AAP BAS SHOT DETE RAHO’
On being asked about his dream role, he said, “One lifetime is not enough for me to fulfill all my dreams. If I get to play a historic character, and work with a director whom I can learn from, I would love to do it. I have never played a blind man, so that’s one dream role I am still looking out for. In fact, I have expressed my desire to my international agents and friends that I would love to acquire the adaptation rights of Scent Of A Woman.”

Anil also recalled how, in the beginning of his career, he would take three bus rides on a given day to observe three people he could draw inspiration from, to lend authenticity to his on-screen characters. “Every person I meet, intrigues me. All of them are real, distinct characters that I would like to play,” he added.

The actor’s camaraderie with Anees was evident when the latter jumped into the conversation to take a pot-shot at him. “You ask him about one dream role and he lists down 50,” the filmmaker joked, adding, “That is what is special about him. Even if he is doing his seventh film with me, he approaches it like his first. His energy and passion, coupled with a first-timer’s apprehension… that’s what makes him Anil Kapoor.”

To that, Anil replied, “I have benefitted more working with Anees than he has, working with me. He has written beautiful characters for me. Filmmaking is teamwork and the director is the captain of the ship. I have always been a directors’ actor, and I am proud to say that. My funda is, ‘Jab tak director ko mazaa nahin aaye, aap bas shot dete raho’.

‘THE PANTHER MUST NOT TASTE BLOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF A SCENE’
In the middle of the session, Tisca Chopra treated the audience to an anecdote from the time she was shooting the TV series, 24, with Anil. She recounted, “We were shooting a hospital sequence at 2 am. All of us were tired and dozing off, but Anil sir was pacing up and down the corridor like a charged-up panther, trying to get everybody energised. A spot boy got me some biscuits and I offered one to him. He took it, stared at it for a long time, and then bellowed, ‘I don’t need it! I won’t have it!’ I was astonished by how disciplined he still is, and the strict check he keeps on his calorie intake.”

At this point, Anil revealed the real reason behind his refusal. “It wasn’t about the calories. Khaana bohot zaroori hai sahi waqt par. I just feel that as an actor, I am conditioned to eat during breaks. If you eat during scenes, you disturb the process of building the emotion required for the scene. Food makes you lethargic. Aur aagar ek biscuit kha leta, to ek pe thodi rukta? I would have finished the entire packet. The panther must not taste blood in the middle of a scene,” he laughed.

‘I CONSCIOUSLY MADE A DECISION TO STAY AWAY FROM KAPOORIYAT’
Early on in his career, Anil had realised that he wasn’t up to playing the typical, romantic hero. “The Kapoor surname was my biggest disadvantage. I did not have it in me to do what the other Kapoors were doing. The characters that Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor played… or even the ones Ranbir (Kapoor) is playing today, I never had the charm to pull them off. They were naturals and I could never measure up to them, which is why I decided that I had to take the thinking actor path. I wanted to carve a place for myself, which is why I consciously made a decision to stay away from ‘Kapooriyat’,” he said.

After doing small roles in regional films, when he landed his first major Bollywood break in Woh Saat Din, he got a haircut from a street-side barber, bought clothes from Chor Bazaar and went home to his mom. “My mom was shocked to see me. She was like, ‘Teri acchi bhali hero ki shakal thi, what did you do to your face?’ I told her that if I have to stick it out in this industry, this is the face that will help me do that,” he recalled.

When asked how he keeps reinventing himself, Anil replied, “Once I established my characters, I decided to finally reveal my hero streak. It was always there, but I explored it carefully, reaching the hero-stage with slow and steady steps. I change my path every 10 years, before people think I am getting monotonous. But I still don’t sleep thinking of the star I will be the next day. I sleep thinking of the character I will play,” he signed off.

Talking about how writing has helped him become the director that he is today, Anees said, “Had I not been a successful writer, I wouldn’t have been a successful director. Writing is of paramount importance while making a film, but it requires many other things as well. I have seen a lot of good writers, who couldn’t become successful filmmakers. So, it’s not just writing that makes the cut, but yes, it has been a strong point for me. I learnt other aspects while I assisted directors. I assisted Raj Kapoor on Prem Rog, followed by 12-13 more directors. I worked in the sound, editing and art departments. I did ghost writing as well. I would often wonder what I am doing, but then I realised that no work is small if you are learning from it. Those small experiences have made me what I am today.”