Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 5, 2020)

After being part of romances and dramas for 11 years, Aditya Roy Kapur has finally got a chance to indulge in his first love — action — with the upcoming film, Malang. Ahead of the release of the Mohit Suri-directorial, the actor talks to BT about his physical transformation, why he is not high on social media and the rumours of him dating model Diva Dhawan. Excerpts...

Ever since the trailer and songs of Malang released, there has been a lot of talk about your physical transformation in the film. From a boy next door, you are now sporting six-pack abs and a sculpted body. Your character in the film, too, is bohemian — very unlike your previous portrayals. Is this makeover a conscious decision?
It wasn’t a planned move. It so happened that Mohit and I were discussing a script. Our last collaboration (Aashiqui 2, 2013) had resonated well with the audience, and we didn’t want to do something similar in our second outing together. I am glad that Mohit sees me differently and offered me Malang, which has action in it. I have grown up watching action movies. That’s my first love! I enjoy watching action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme. In fact, I was a karate kid, with good jumping and attacking skills. I think action is in my blood.

You started your acting career in 2009. Given your love for the genre, it’s surprising that you waited for more than a decade to be part of an action film…
Acting is something that I stumbled onto. I was a VJ, who casually auditioned for London Dreams (2009), and surprisingly, bagged the role. From then, one thing just led to another. Since I never planned to become an actor in the first place, there was no thought about genres at all. I wasn’t even sure what to pick up and what not to, I just kept taking up whatever came my way. It is only after Aashiqui 2 that I realised acting is what I want to do. The films that worked for me have been from the romance and drama genres, and so, I was offered similar films. No one ever thought that I could do action films, and personality-wise, I don’t come across as someone who could like action, so I guess I wasn’t approached for such roles. I have been waiting for an opportunity to perform action, and when Mohit offered me Malang, I jumped with joy. I needed to build my physique to look convincing on screen while beating up 30 people. I worked on it and this is the end product.

Mohit’s Aashiqui 2 established you as an actor. And now, Malang is all set to transform your onscreen image. It’s almost like he is re-launching you...
Yes, absolutely. Mohit gave me my first lead role and the character struck a chord with the audience. With Malang, he is showcasing another side of me. I think Mohit brings out these sides of me, which even I am unaware of. He is a very special person in my life.

Like your on-screen transformation, can we expect a personal transformation, too? You are an introvert, and you often get pulled up by fashion critics and your costars for being monotonous with your styling. Will this change now?
I don’t really care about fashion. I like to look good, but I end up wearing the same things. Of course, I am not saying that I will dress up like this forever, I do leave room for improvement. As far as being an introvert is concerned, I resisted social media for the longest time. I finally took the plunge after my team members told me how important it is to be active online. However, after being active initially, my interest has fizzled now. I don’t feel obligated to be active on social media, I do it when I feel like it. I am not in it for the number of followers. I am active on social media during film promotions, as it is part of my job. Being in the public eye all the time tires me. Therefore, there are times when I disappear, rejuvenate and do things I like to do, away from the public glare. I don’t know if I will ever want to give away that part of my life.

Almost all your contemporaries are active on social media, aren’t you apprehensive that being away from it could affect your popularity?
I am still trying to understand the repercussions of not being as active on social media. I would want to strike a balance. It is not that I am socially awkward, or that I have a problem talking in front of people, it’s just that I don't find myself being gregarious all the time. However, I don’t want to enter a space where my career is getting affected by it. I don’t want to be ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

In fact, your Malang co-star Anil Kapoor is quite good with social media, and he can also give youngsters a run for their money in other areas...
Working with Anil sir is like attending a master class. His energy and passion for acting are infectious. He loves working, learning and being the best version of himself. If he is working with a young team, he makes it a point to learn something from them. On the first day of the shoot, he asked me what I was eating. I was on a strict diet for this film, and when I told him that, he took the number of my caterer. The next day, he came on the set and told me, ‘Hey, I am on your diet. I am feeling much healthier’. I was surprised to see his enthusiasm. I just hope to be as dedicated as he is. Though he is a senior, he wanted to hear, rather than being heard on the set. He wanted Mohit to direct him, he wanted to be told things.

You are also shooting with the Bhatts for Sadak 2…
Now, that’s been an amazing experience. Working in a movie that has (Mahesh) Bhatt saab coming back to direction after a gap of 20 years. is surreal. The film also stars his daughters Pooja (Bhatt) and Alia (Bhatt), and even Sanjay Dutt, who is like his brother. The set feels like a sacred place. I also feel that I am a much better person and a much better actor after working with him. I joined the film after a few days after it went on floors, and Bhatt saab knew that I was jumping on a moving train as an actor. When you join in a little late, the others are already in the thick of things. However, he guided me and got me in sync with the rest of them in no time.

Moving on to the personal front, are you single? There have been rumours about you dating model Diva Dhawan. It was also reported that you plan to tie the knot soon...
Let it remain a mystery whether I am single or not (laughs!). As far as Diva is concerned, I don’t know how our meeting over dinner was taken out of context. Both of us, at different occasions, have rubbished these rumours. Following reports about my impending wedding, my mom asked me, ‘Is there something I should know?’ and I told her, ‘No!’. Diva and I have been friends for a while, but there’s nothing more to it.

Aditya Roy Kapur on link-up rumours with Diva Dhawan; admits it’s been a tricky run at the b-o but doesn’t believe any of the films were wrong decisions
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 24, 2020)

After intense turns in his last few films, Aditya Roy Kapur is ready to dive into the deep end of the dark spectrum. In Mohit Suri’s upcoming revenge-drama Malang, the actor plays an action hero for the first time. What is it about dark characters that appeals to him? “Dark characters can be really liberating. As a hero, you must always be right but negative roles don’t have such preconditions,” he reasons, adding that action and playing two sides of a character that are five years apart was challenging. “Usually, you get time to train before you start such a film. But, I was doing Kalank and had to jump straight into Malang. Having grown up watching action films and idolising Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan, were the only prep I had, which kind of channelled through this character.”

Aditya’s first solo hit came with Aashiqui 2 in 2013. It has been a constant search for the next one ever since, but the actor doesn’t mind the wait. “Yes, it’s been a tricky run, but these things play out only over time,” he maintains. “Films are a mysterious thing. No one knows what will work, and if anyone claims they do, don’t believe them. I find it tough to analyse my failures, but I never considered them wrong decisions. I believed in those films and gave my all to each.”

Last year, he was a part of Kalank, one of the most anticipated multi-starrers of the year, but the film didn’t work. The actor doesn’t believe that his character was weakly-written. “Dev had a lot to explore within the narrative and that made the script special. Every character felt whole,” he asserts. Remind him of his Afro look from his second film, Action Replayy and Aditya bursts into laughter, “I’m proud of that look. Maybe, it wasn’t the quintessential Hindi film hero look but I enjoyed it.”

Point out that he hasn’t collaborated with filmmaker-elder brother Siddharth Roy Kapur in a long time, and other Roy Kapur says that as a family (along with actor-brother Kunaal) they ensure that their respective careers remain separate from each other. “Even the films I did for him back in the day were driven by the director, in terms of casting, and not him,” he clarifies. But Siddharth has been looking for a hero to play the lead in the Rakesh Sharma’s biopic for a while now. Insisting that he doesn’t “even know what the film is about”, Aditya elaborates, “I don’t know where he is at with that film. He has obviously got a vision, but I haven’t even read the script.”

He is all praise for Anurag Basu, the director of the upcoming crime-anthology Ludo. “Working with sir is like working with a master. His understanding of filmmaking is so broad; you just submit to his world. He makes you feel like you can try anything, and that’s how great things come out,” he shares, moving on to another upcoming project, Sadak 2, with Alia Bhatt. Referring to his cameo in the actress’s 2016 release, Dear Zindagi, he reveals, “What you saw there was a starter. Now, you will have the main course.” Then, there’s another reunion with Mohit—Ek Villain 2—which, he promises, “explores a new world”.

Mention the intermittent reportage on his on-again-off-again relationship with Diva Dhawan and Aditya appears to be caught off guard. “She gave a nice statement, saying there is no truth to it and I reiterated it. I guess it gathered steam after we went out for dinner. We have been friends for years and hadn’t met in a while. But we got papped and that’s where it started from. Marriage is something far-fetched for me. I am in no hurry.”

Left: Sushrii Mishraa; middle top: Madusha Mayadunne; middle below: Atul Kasbekar; right: Diva Dhawan

DNA (January 16, 2019)

Business tycoon Vijay Mallya is currently in exile in London. Even as the legal wrangle on whether he will return to India to face the various charges levelled  against him continues, work on one of his pet projects — the Kingfisher Calendar — is underway. Ace fashion photographer and Bollywood producer Atul Kasbekar, who has been its architect since the beginning, has shot some of the most exotic models at famous locales.

This year, the Kingfisher Calendar marks its 17th year and has been shot in Sardinia, a picturesque island in the Mediterranean Sea. Featuring Shubra Aiyappa, Priyanka Karunakaran, Mitali Rannorey, Priyanka Moodley, Ishika Sharma, Sushrii Mishraa, Diva Dhawan, Madusha Mayadunne and many more, Atul has captured the sexy girls elegantly.

He says, “I don’t think there has been a longer association between a brand and a photographer that comes to my mind. These 17 years have been remarkable. It’s a tough job, but what’s the fun without hurdles. Each shoot has its own challenges. There is a lot of hard work behind the scenes that rarely gets documented, but the end result is worth every bit of the struggle.”

DNA (May 8, 2018)

Aditya Roy Kapur has always been guarded about his personal life. Even when he was linked to Shraddha Kapoor, he never spoke about it. Now, we hear, the Aashiqui 2 actor is in a steady relationship. Who’s the girl in his life? An actor who’s a friend of his, says, “Adi is dating Diva Dhawan. They are very much in love and have been together for quite some time now.”

Diva, who is a supermodel, has walked the ramp for designers including Manish Malhotra, JJ Valaya and Tarun Tahiliani. Born and raised in America, she has also walked for charity shows in New York. She has done a lot of commercials, too. She makes frequent trips to India, more so now. The two lovebirds try and make some time to be with each other whenever possible. But like other actors, Aditya doesn’t want his relationship to be in the media glare.