It’s been a decade since the rom-com Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) was released. Actor Kunaal Roy Kapur, who played a small yet pivotal role in the Ayan Mukerji-directed film, waxes nostalgic while reminiscing about the fun he had while shooting. 

“Its success was one thing, but what you really carry forward are the great memories of making it and spending time with other actors,” he shares.

Talking about his character Taran, the NRI who gets married to Aditi (Kalki Koechlin), the 44-year-old reveals that it wasn’t just a funny cameo. “Taran is a loved character in the sense that Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) sees something in Taran and Aditi as a couple, and that somehow changes his attitude towards love and his priorities in life. Ayan and I had discussed this at length as to how Taran, sort of, acts as a catalyst for Bunny’s change of heart towards Naina (Deepika Padukone). Perhaps that’s why the character still resonates and is remembered by people,” says the actor.

Among all the iconic scenes, Kapur’s dance sequence with actor Evelyn Sharma is a favourite for the actor. “Evelyn and I had a great time putting that dance together. We were just trying to come up with crazy steps,” he shares. He recounts one of the most difficult scenes — the one where he jumps into a swimming pool to fetch his engagement ring: “It was not easy; the water was really cold, and we shot for that scene at night.”

Ask if he anticipated YJHD to become a cult film, and Kapur admits that no one expected the film to have this kind of longevity. “It has become one of those rom-coms that people like to revisit. Nobody thought that it would connect with the audience, even after so many years. So yes, it definitely took everyone by surprise,” he concludes.