Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; April 1, 2025)

From the start, Anil Kapoor knew he was here for the marathon. So, he pulled up his socks, picked up his gear, did a warm-up and set out for a long race. And here he is, four decades later, still running (speed in check) – full of gusto, greed for great roles and looking glam as ever with his greys. He brought along his infectious energy on the set of Bombay Times Lounge and left the audience charmed and asking for more. When it was time to wrap up the talk show, he said, “I don’t want it to get over.” That’s him, unstoppable and always, all in.

In four decades as a leading man in Hindi cinema, you have always fielded criticism — whether it was comments on your looks, or film choices — with calm and courage. You have this amazing trait, this sense of humour, where you can laugh at yourself. Has this helped you in your journey?
I always thought that if anyone believed I had a minus point, I should turn that into something positive. People would call me all kinds of things, like, ‘He doesn’t need to wear a shirt,’ because I had so much hair. So, I went on the front foot. Tuku tuku kya khelna hai... I just hit it out of the park. When I had started out, a lot of people would tell me, ‘Yeh actor hai, star nahin ban sakta.’ They even compared me with the great Sanjeev Kumar, and I’d be thrilled, as what more could I ask for? He was one of the most versatile actors we had. After some point in my career, they turned around and said, “Yeh star hai!” These tags kept changing. Then they said, “Looks nahin hai,” and now they can’t stop talking about how I look (laughs!).

Somewhere, at the right time, you realized that you had to go beyond running around trees and playing the romantic hero. Is that what possibly gave you a larger playing field and longevity?
When I started my journey, I consciously didn’t want to do that. There were the great Kapoors (Raj Kapoor’s family), and their contribution to cinema was great. I thought I have the same last name, how do I make myself a different Kapoor? I knew I had to be the different Kapoor. I did films with M S Sathyu, Bapu saab and Mani Ratnam. I tried to work with filmmakers like Shyam Benegal and Mrinal Sen, too. My initial films like Woh Saat Din and Mashaal didn’t bank on songs, they had strong characters. Later on, I went on to do massy films... the running around trees, dancing and romantic kind of roles. Every decade, I have done mainstream films that people want to see me in, and along with that some out-of-the-box roles that challenged me.

Today, actors have to focus on so many aspects beyond acting — like fitness, fashion, social media — which can be distracting and a bit overwhelming, too. Back in the day, like you had once told me, stepping out the way you wanted to was so easy.
Yes, but you have to change with the times. The audience doesn’t mind actors who are doing age-appropriate roles which suit them. You might have wrinkles... you don’t have to try to look younger. You should look the best you can. The audience can sense it when an actor is lazy and is looking lethargic. You can get away with it two-three times, but then it will catch up. Sometimes, actors in the past took it easy, and they felt they could get away with it, but it showed on screen. Their stardom would last for five-six years and then fade away.

In the past, you have said, “I just wanted to become an actor, galti se star bhi ban gaya.” You have witnessed superstardom. Today, there is a lot of talk about how the concept of stardom is changing, evolving. What are your thoughts?
What is stardom? It’s what happens when films become a huge success, and the characters become so popular that people want to see the actor again and again. It is happening even now. The truth is, today one film is enough for an actor to achieve stardom. Earlier, we had to do four-five superhit films in a row and then people would accept us. Now one film can give you that kind of stardom, because that’s the kind of business some of the films are doing. Aisa kuch nahin hai ki aage superstars nahin honge. Aisa kuch nahin hai ki we are seeing the last of the superstars. Aagey humse bhi bade superstars honge. Every era and every decade will have their own superstars, of course, there will be different kinds of superstars.

With your children, Sonam, Rhea and Harsh Varrdhan, well on their own path and enjoying what they are doing, do you feel settled as a father?
I have always let them be, but not in a way that when they do something where we need to step in, Sunita and I will just leave it and say… aapko joh karna hai karo. Woh galat baat hai. Aur yeh bhi galat baat hai ke I tell them… tu aise hi kar. I can’t tell Sonam that do these kinds of films, I can’t tell Harsh tu thoda bahar nikal, take some photos and be out there, he will do it when the time comes. Rhea is making her kind of films, which I am proud of. I feel even fashion comes in the bandwidth of entertainment, and it’s an art to create those kind of looks. About Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, people would say, “Yeh log yehi karte hain, aise hi karte hain.” I would tell those people, you do this and show me. I am proud of my children, and I tell them that don’t be apologetic about what you are doing, instead, go on the front foot, else people will try to pin you down.