Hollywood actor George Clooney and actor Anil Kapoor came together for a session recently, and what ensued was an afternoon of candid conversation and confessions of mutual admiration, interspersed with moments of laughter. From their filmography to fitness secrets, the stars discussed a wide range of topics at the 20th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022, held last weekend in New Delhi.

The session commenced on a witty note, with Kapoor lauding Clooney for his hairstyle. “I have got a trimmer and I cut my own hair. My wife (Amal Clooney, lawyer) looks at me, thinking, ‘There is something wrong with me’,” chuckled the Hollywood star, who joined in virtually.

“Sometime back, I did a film, Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), and I requested a George Clooney look. I had to sit for 100 hours. While I didn’t get it exactly, the look swept all the awards and was much talked about,” Kapoor admitted, prompting Clooney to say, “I am a big believer that my hair has got me a long way.”

Kapoor, 65, also lauded the 61-year-old for the way he has maintained his physique and fitness, to which the father of two quipped: “I pay people to workout for me!”

Steering the conversation towards films, Kapoor touched upon the kind of versatility Clooney’s filmography reflects. Here, the latter revealed that growing up, he didn’t harbour any dreams of entering showbiz, and went on to say that a bunch of “terrible” jobs led him to the glamour world.

“I grew up on a tobacco farm in Kentucky… I knew I didn’t want to do that. I thought there might be something more fun to do in life. So, I moved out to California, lived with a buddy and rode a bicycle to auditions. For me, everything has just been mostly about luck and I am very appreciative of it,” he said, adding, “I never really considered acting as a profession because I didn’t know anyone who was an actor. It has been a long haul, there has been a lot of auditioning, failures, a lot of nos. Sometimes, when you are successful, you get too much credit. It requires a great deal of luck, to be at the right place at the right time.”

Kapoor reflected on his career, too. He said, “I’ve done all kinds of films, including drama, action and comedy. But, I haven’t done a sci-fi [film] yet. I would love to do that someday. I did a show of the genre, but unfortunately, it was not greenlit.”

When asked what his favourite genre is, Clooney said, “I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, which was a really exciting time for American cinema. We had the Vietnam War movement, civil rights movement, women’s rights movement, anti drug movement. So, movies were really interesting from about 1964 to 1976… I have always been drawn to political thrillers. They are fun and exciting to do. But, you have to be careful. You don’t want to sound preachy.”

However, Clooney clarified that he has no intentions of entering politics, despite being someone who is known to raise his voice on pertinent societal issues. “I don’t want to be making decisions on people’s life and death. Those are very important decisions to make along the way, and they should be made by people who have had a wide swath of experience,” said the father of two, adding, “To run for office, you have to compromise on your own beliefs. I don’t want to do that. I can stand up for the things I believe in. The only results will be that if people are unhappy, they won’t go see my projects, and I can live with that.”

Clooney was recently seen in the romantic comedy Ticket To Paradise, which fared well at the box office. The actor said he is glad to see the revival of the big screen, after a two-year pandemic-induced lull. “Theatres were hit hard in the last few years. There’s a lot of business as streamers, but theatres themselves have really been hurt. It was important for us to have a film that can bring people back people to theatres,” he said.

The session turned out to be a masterclass for aspiring actors, too. Clooney said, “When people go to auditions, the thought in mind usually is, ‘I hope they like me, I hope I don’t screw up’. But the truth is, the producer/ director who is sitting on the couch is just hoping that you are the right one. If you just change that attitude before walking into the door, it changes everything.”

Ending the session on a high note, the actors shook a leg to The Punjaabban Song from Kapoor’s film JugJugg Jeeyo. The latter also pitched for Clooney to suggest his name for his next Hollywood project.

Yeh dosti hum nahin todenge — superstars Akshay Kumar and Ram Charan used the iconic song from Sholay (1975) to wipe out, once and for all, the lines that divide Indian cinema, with a surprise performance that brought to the fore the spirit of cinematic unity.

The actors joined Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor (Entertainment & Lifestyle), Hindustan Times for an engaging session at the 20th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022 in Delhi on Saturday, where they discussed how the entertainment world has changed after the pandemic, as well as the emergence of pan-India cinema.

“We never saw Hindi films as projects coming from different regions. They have tremendous exposure. We get inspired by them to make better films,” said Charan, mentioning how all industries have now come together as one. “It is Indian cinema. We all co-exist,” he said.

His thoughts were seconded by Kumar, who has worked in several remakes of regional films. “Why must we talk about regions?” he asked, suggesting “collaborative projects with big stars” from all regions as a step towards coming together as one.

Taking their resolve to come together a notch higher, Kumar enthralled attendees with a performance on Charan’s Telugu song, Rangamma Mangamma while lip-syncing to the lyrics. Charan, too, brought out his filmi side, with a performance on Kumar’s Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast, perfectly symbolising co-existence in cinema.

The actors also weighed in on the strategy that the industry must devise to come up with a new success mantra at the box office, in light of the recent developments.

“Dismantle and reinvent, that’s the only way forward,” said Kumar, adding that not just actors, even producers need to revisit costs that are involved in making a project.

Charan, too, was of the opinion that “rethinking and restructuring the whole game” will surely help makers get the desired results.

As the session progressed, Kumar took the opportunity to address the constant chatter around him doing multiple films a year: “I don’t know what is wrong in working. Why do people question me about working too much, as if it is a bad thing? Some say, ‘Aap subah jaldi kyun uththe ho’. Subah uthne ke liye hi toh hoti hai!”

When asked about the unprecedented success of his film RRR, not only in India but on foreign shores as well, an elated Charan shared that while filming it, nobody expected the film to cross boundaries.

“I am going to countries like Japan, which is a very conservative market, and being appreciated there. It is very heartwarming,” he said.

Kumar also spoke about his decision to step back from the third part of the hit comedy franchise Hera Pheri, saying: “The film was offered to me, but I wasn’t too excited about the way the script and the screenplay shaped up. The movie has been an important part of my journey and I wanted to give something that my audience expects from me. I apologize to my fans, I’m as sad as they are.”

Akshay Kumar’s citizenship is something that has been widely discussed in the public forum. Back in 2019, the actor had revealed that he would be giving up his Canadian citizenship. When he took the stage for his session at HTLS 2022, he shared that his application is under process.

“I want to make one thing clear. Not having an Indian passport does not make me any less of an Indian. I got it many years back and I don’t want to get into the reason why and what happened. I said it in 2019 that I have applied for it, but then, the pandemic happened and everything was shut for the last two years. Now, I have got the renounce letter and very soon, my whole passport will be renounced,” Kumar stated.

The 20th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022 saw actors Anil Kapoor and George Clooney come together for a session, and what ensued was nothing short of a rendezvous of rockstars. From discussing the perks and pitfalls of the fame that comes with their profession to a mutual admiration for each other’s craft and busting some Bollywood moves, the session was every bit entertaining.

Kapoor remarked how he has never seen the Hollywood actor exercising or working out, and inquired about how he keeps himself fit. The answer to this, Clooney said, is moderation.

“My father can do 200 pushups at 90, I can do just 2. I pay people to workout for me!” he said, adding, “I eat a Mediterranean diet for most part. I try to do everything in moderation, including moderation.”

As the conversation went ahead, the actors spoke about raising children in the public gaze. The Hollywood actor, who is married to lawyer Amal Clooney, spoke of how one needs to tread the line with caution: “Our kids are born in the lap of luxury. There are a lot of fights they’ll have to pick. They’ve to speak up. We’ve to teach them empathy,” said the father of two.

Here, Kapoor spoke about the transition to being a grandfather, admitting he’s still processing this new phase. “I’m connecting with my grandchild, Vayu, much quicker than I connected with my children,” he said, adding his kids are still compared to him.

But, that is something Clooney feels may pan out differently for him: “Your son would’ve been 20 when you were 40. They’re going to be compared to you. That’s not going to happen with me, because I’m going to be 90 when my kids come out of school. The mirror won’t be held up to my kids in the same way. Hopefully that’s an advantage. We’re going to try to raise them in a very normal life.”

“I have to say, India is such a beautiful country,” said Clooney as he reminisced moments from his trips to the country. He went on to shake a leg with Kapoor on the latter’s The Punjaabban Song, much to the delight of the audience.

Kapoor also touched upon Clooney’s absence from the virtual world. “I’ll tell you a little secret. Every once a while, I like to have a glass of wine or two. I don’t need to pull out my phone after a few glasses of wine, text a funny joke, wake up and have my career be over,” the latter said, adding, “I don’t need that kind of access.”

Sharing his admiration for Kapoor, Clooney said, “In my world, you are a rockstar. When I am doing an interview with you, I am thinking about your films, from Mission Impossible to Slumdog Millionaire. It is an honour to talk to you. You look unbelievable for a 29-year-old.”