Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 12, 2020)

Since his debut with Ishaqzaade in 2012, actor Arjun Kapoor is set to complete eight years in Bollywood this year. And evidently, it has been one roller-coaster ride — professionally and personally. The actor readily admits that “a lot has transpired in the last seven to eight years”.

“I think I have changed. Even my outlook (towards life) has changed. I have seen quite a few things in these seven to eight years. Now, I think I can easily write a book on these experiences, which were quite a roller coaster (ride). The priorities as well as the understanding of life have changed. Now, the blacks and whites have become greys,” says the 34-year-old.

The 2 States (2014) actor quips that initially, “life was all about work” but “now, it’s a bit more about finding the balance”. He says, “Earlier, it was all about doing what you wanted. But now you have to look at the bigger picture. All said and done, I’d like to say the core values remain the same.”

However, that doesn’t mean Kapoor dislikes change. After delving into the historical space with Panipat last year, he is now poised to enter a “lighter” world, thanks to Nikkhil Advani-Kaashvie Nair’s yet-untitled next. “Kaashvie is my first female director and I am very excited. It is a nice, full-on happy family comedy,” says the actor, who will be playing a Sikh character again, after Mubarakan (2017).

“But the film, on its own, is not in the Mubarakan space of comedy. This is more like a slice-of-life drama, which is in a very feel-good, warm space, akin to something like Kapoor & Sons (2016) and Badhaai Ho (2018). I play a sardar who comes back home from America, and (the plot revolves around) what all happens,” he says.

Also, Kapoor is set to work on the Hindi adaptation of the Tamil film Comali (2019). “Yes, that is something we have acquired and are working on. But it’s still getting written as of now. When we get closer to making it, we will figure who the director will be. There are no concrete dates yet,” says the actor, who also has Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar coming up for release.