Over the years, one has seen Boney Kapoor back some of the biggest movies in Bollywood as a producer, but at the start of 2021, his career in the film industry is about to take a new turn. He will be making his acting debut in Luv Ranjan’s upcoming film, which stars Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in lead roles. This week, Boney joined the cast and crew of the movie in Noida, where a set has been created for the shoot.

While this will be his full-fledged acting debut, he recently did a cameo where he played himself for a film on a digital platform. In an exclusive chat with Bombay Times, he says, “Acting never crossed my mind. My hands were full as a producer. I have been an AD (assistant director), assistant editor, production controller, producer, and now, I am an actor. Yes, I am playing Ranbir Kapoor’s father in the film. He is a terrific actor as we all know, and I am an amateur, but let’s see how it goes. I am excited to work with him. I was apprehensive about juggling between acting and production. I have five films lined up as a producer. Initially, Anil (brother Anil Kapoor) was also reluctant about this as he knows the kind of responsibilities one has as a producer, but later, he told me to go ahead.”

The filmmaker’s actor-son Arjun Kapoor played a pivotal part in pushing his father towards acting. Boney reveals, “I had said no to Luv Ranjan. He reached out to Arjun, and he, along with my three daughters (Anshula, Janhvi and Khushi), convinced me to do it. Arjun told me that Ranjan had me as a reference point — that of a ‘Punjabi father’ — when he wrote this part. So, he thought I was ideal for it. Acting requires you to do what the director asks you to, so I wasn’t sure, but Arjun said that I just need to be myself. He even told me that this would be a good change and also an opportunity to stay away from production stress for a bit.”

Not many are aware, but Boney was first offered a role by Yash Chopra in Lamhe (which starred Sridevi and Anil Kapoor). “I wasn’t sure if Yash ji was serious, but he had offered me the part in Lamhe, which was eventually played by Deepak Malhotra (Sridevi’s husband in the film). I never took it seriously. I guess he knew that I just wanted to be close to Sri (smiles),” he shares.

That’s not all. Boney was also supposed to play Anil’s father in a college play when the two were studying in St Xavier’s College. He says, “Amjad Khan had directed the play. Anil fell ill on the day of the play, and some other guy played his part, but I was supposed to play his father in it. I remember Satish Shah had a crucial role in it, too.” He concludes with a smile, “At least seven-eight members from our family are actors now! My children are excited for me, and that makes me happy. Isn’t that great?”