Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor unfazed that Abhinav Bindra biopic is in scripting stage two years after it was announced, says he'll headline romantic drama in the interim
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 24, 2019)

"We are currently rewriting the script," starts off Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor. Announced two years ago, the Abhinav Bindra biopic — that brings father Anil Kapoor and him together on screen for the first time — is yet to go on floors. However, the youngster is unperturbed by the delay.

"Good things always take time to brew. We are quite some time away from having a screenplay, which makes us unanimously feel that the film can now be made," says the actor. He adds that the change of hands too have taken a fair amount of time — while Vishal Bhardwaj was to initially produce it along with an established studio, Anil Kapoor's production house took complete charge of the project in late 2016.

Director Kannan Iyer and co-writer Abhay Koranne have been adapting the ace shooter's autobiography — A Shot at History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold — for the big screen over the past eight months. The actor, too, has read the book twice over and made notes for the writers. "His story is different from that of any other Indian athlete. He has grown up wealthy, his struggles are different. Plus, shooting is a psychological sport. So, one can't feel for Bindra the way they do for, say, the Phogat sisters because his struggles are internal. Kannan and Abhay are in the process of writing a story that is honest to Abhinav and his book. We can't put a timestamp on this film."

Launched in Bollywood in 2016 with Mirzya, the youngster has only two films behind him. Staying away from the big screen for such a long time can be a risky move in an industry that functions on the out-of-sight-is-out-of-mind premise. But Kapoor is unfazed. "I have always done things at my pace. Anyway, it takes one film to change things for actors. Meanwhile, I have signed three films, but I can't talk about them yet."

Willing to only reveal that one of them is a romantic drama, he adds, "It is more palatable than my other films, yet it is right up my alley."

Harshvardhan Kapoor on his Olympic gold medallist alter ego and the biopic which is ‘one of those films that aren’t easy to make’
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 11, 2018) 

Over a year ago, Harshvardhan Kapoor announced that he would be playing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra in his next. There’s still a few months to go before shooting kicks off for the biopic but the delay has hardly been a cause for concern for the actor. “It’s only for the better,” he explains, adding, “The prep isn’t on at the moment because director Kannan (Iyer) and Abhay Koranne, the writer, who also wrote Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, are working on a new draft of the script that draws heavily from A Shot At History (Abhinav’s autobiography).”

Adding that he was a part of an exercise recently, Harsh says, “We read the book and made notes about what we would like to incorporate from it in the film because all of us believe the book is marvellous. It traces Abhinav’s journey authentically. My prep will resume after we have a script that blows us away a hundred percent,” he asserts.

On his year-long prep, Harsh informs that he has been spending a lot of time with his screen alter ego. “I also met Suma Shirur, a professional shooter who Abhinav has trained with. We will set up a shooting range in Mumbai for me to practise and I will undergo look tests. It’s one of those films that aren’t easy to make,” he insists.

Meanwhile, prepping for the part has been quite an interesting ride. Drawing parellels between himself and Abhinav, Harsh says, “Abhinav and I have similar personalities. He keeps to himself and is a bit isolated, just like me. I am meticulous and like spending time with myself. Both of us turn reflective when things aren’t going a certain way. He’s not outgoing and neither am I. Even the relationship we share with our respective fathers is similar – they are extroverts, the life of a room—while Abhinav and I are quiet, straight-faced people. I’m looking forward to revisit a lot of my life experiences and add them to the film.”

The biopic also marks his first screen collaboration with dad Anil Kapoor but Harsh is evasive on the subject. “It’s about taking one step at a time and approaching it like any other film. I don’t want to get too romantic about the idea. I just want to focus and keep it real and give my best,” he signs off. 

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 4, 2017)

Right from his Bollywood debut, Harshvardhan Kapoor expressed his interest in experimenting with unconventional subjects. And he is walking the talk. After making an unusual debut in Mirzya (2017) and choosing Vikramaditya Motwane’s vigilante drama Bhavesh Joshi for his second outing, the actor is now busy preparing for his third film — a biopic on Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra.

Aware that recreating the ace shooter’s journey on the big screen is a tall order, Kapoor has taken it upon himself to oversee the creative aspects of the drama. He has even brought writer Abhay Koranne on board. Reveals a source, “Apart from prepping as an actor, Harsh is creatively involved in the film. The biopic is consuming all his time these days.”

Directed by Kannan Iyer, the film is being adapted from Bindra’s autobiography A Shot At History: My Obsessive Journey To Olympic Gold. While retaining the book’s authenticity, the creative team — including Iyer, Koranne and Kapoor — is attempting to explore the various layers to Bindra’s personality. “Every few weeks, Kannan and Abhay meet Abhinav, and get him to shed light on various aspects of his life. This is really helping them in the writing process,” adds the source.

Kapoor, on his part, too has had a few meetings with Bindra. “Harsh also visited the Navi Mumbai shooting range to meet Abhinav’s coach. He even checked out the rifles, in an attempt to get a feel of the whole thing.” Excited about the “collaboration of different creative minds”, Kapoor says, “The biopic is a big responsibility because of the subject matter. It is the most mammoth responsibility I’ve ever shouldered. I roped in Abhay, who wrote the final draft of Bhavesh Joshi, to work on a new draft of the Bindra biopic. We are taking the script into a really exciting place. It’s about externalizing internal conflicts, and making it emotionally and visually spectacular.”

Prernaa Arora, who is co-producing the drama with Arjun N Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, says, “I strongly believed in Harsh ever since I saw him in Mirzya. He is very dedicated, and the kind of homework he is doing for the film is astonishing.”