Coming from a long line of actors starting with the late legend Prithviraj Kapoor, actor Zahan Kapoor has witnessed a diverse range of career trajectories within the family. This made him “focus deeply on his work and craft above all else”.

“I am not here to chase fame and recognition. Success and glamour is not the be-all and end-all (of this profession). It requires a deep work ethic, dedication, persistence, and perseverance,” the 32-year-old tells us.

Zahan, who is late actor Shashi Kapoor’s grandson, made his debut back in 2023 with Faraaz, but both the film and his entry in Bollywood went unnoticed. His breakthrough came this year with the web series Black Warrant.

“Faraaz is considered a failure by many, which I don’t agree with. As an actor, it shouldn’t go to my heart that I didn’t become the talk of the town with my first film, or that I’m disappointed my first film didn’t make a bang. Failure should not really go to your heart where it disappoints you,” he feels.

Zahan admits that his approach does not centre around only success, adding that things could have gone wrong with the recently released show, too.

“If we look at things in terms of what is available on OTT, there is definitely a trend to exaggerate and use violence as the point of attraction. And sometimes, that is viscerally enjoyable. But whether a story requires it or not, it comes largely down to the maker and their choice and sensibilities. Depending on what it is that you are trying to invoke, you might choose differently. I deeply value that approach as well as any other,” he ends.

Addressing the attack on his cousin, actor Kareena Kapoor’s husband, actor Saif Ali Khan, Zahan says, “What happened is deeply unsettling and took over a lot of our mind space... There is a lot of speculation and I don’t want to add to it anymore... It’s hard for everyone involved. I’m just happy that he is safe and making a strong recovery... I hope that they can get past this incident as I know it’s difficult.”