Anil Kapoor on his commitment to television as a medium, the possibility of a film spinoff of 24 and the show’s second season
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; June 1, 2016)


Tell me about Season 2.
I am very excited. I am looking forward to the second season. We are at this stage where we got huge critical acclaim for the first season and we built a fan base. Hopefully, the TRPs will be better than the first season. We have an interesting mix — film, television and theatre stars, all of who have a huge fan following. Like there is Sakshi Tanwar, who is playing a very important role in the show, and Surveen Chawla. Yes, Surveen has a huge fan base and Sakshi is playing something completely opposite to what she has played in all the other shows. She plays the ATU Chief, which is a very strong role with lot of layers and in my absence, she runs the cell. There is Neil Bhoopalam. After he got great acclaim in the first season and in NH10. And Sikander Kher, who is going to be the surprise package of the show.

Why was there was such a big gap between the two seasons?
That was because I got busy with Dil Dhadakne Do and Welcome Back. Also, the three producers — Viacom 18, 20th Century Fox and my Company Anil Kapoor Productions — had so much trust in each other that we finished the first season without actually signing the long agreement. This time I said, “Yeh first season toh kar diya, but now let’s get it on paper.’ So, trying to finish these films and contract took a lot of time; that is the reason for the long gap. But I think the pace and the fan following of the first season — whatever it was — is strong, solid and alive. And I saw to it that I kept it alive. I saw to it that it wasn’t diluted, so wherever I went, I spoke about 24. I want it to succeed, so I am putting all my force — all my emotional and physical effort and everything in my capacity, to see to it that it works. The show gives so much employment to actors and technicians. Today, on 24, there are a minimum of 200 people employed who don’t have to worry about their families being looked after for one year. It’s not like films, where you do a film and then wait for the next one, so there is a gap in between. I am happier that this show is giving so many job opportunities to so many people.

This character, Jai Singh Rathore, has become so popular. Do you see yourself taking it to the screen?
That’s the first thing I really wanted when I spoke to them. In my contract, I got everything... It will be a great character on the big screen, and I’m still pursuing it, but legally, I still don’t have the rights.

The original makers had also planned to make the 24 film.
They planned to make it, but they have not yet succeeded. With my relationships with them, one day, I’ll be able to convince them. That will be phenomenal because it’s really a fantastic character. In fact, my name on my Twitter page has been Jai Singh Rathore for a year now. Because I’ve not done anything, but 24 for that time. I have committed and devoted myself to this show as an actor and producer. I want to lead by example. I don’t see television as a cash cow. I don’t look down upon it. For me, television, today, is something I am totally committed to.

Did you have anything to do with Arjun doing Khatron Ke Khiladi?
No, I didn’t. But Raj (Nayak) said that because of my association with him, he felt like Arjun was family, and he felt comfortable approaching him to host the show. Raj has a good relationship with me and Boney also... Somewhere, I feel it was a very brave decision for Arjun to take up a TV show.

Yes, although Big B, Aamir, SRK and Salman have been on TV, the Gen Next have not yet explored that world yet.
I think that today’s times are such that any content you get excited about — and it might be any platform, you have to do it. That’s why I am really looking forward to doing something on digital. I am talking to a lot of people, but I’m not yet really sure what it is going to be. So I think it’s very cool for Arjun to do television. Maybe the next time you meet me, I will be telling you about what I am doing on the digital platform.

Do you see yourself doing as many shows as the international one?
They did nine seasons. I was there in the eighth season. I think we can do even more. (Smiles) Now, it depends on the people who are backing it to believe in it as much as I do. But I feel every show has its own destiny and if you believe in it and if you put your heart and soul into it...why nine seasons, it might go on for even more.

We haven’t seen you in any international film for a long time. Have you decided to concentrate on your films here and your shows?
I have been offered some interesting films, but they are not as exciting as I want them to be. There were certain films — for example, this year, I was supposed to be in Cannes to announce that film — and then I had to make a choice to be there because I was committed to this film, which I can’t tell you about now. Then there is Jugalbandi and 24. It was coming in between 24 and Salman’s film. Then I weighed the pros and cons, I said the role is good, but not great enough for me to sacrifice so many exciting things happening over here and so I just passed it up. I feel I have done three things and they have been hugely successful. I have done 24, Slumdog Millionaire and Mission Impossible. So that equity is there with me, I can cash it whenever I want to cash it.

So you have been nixing offers?
I just want to cash in at the right time and I want to take a step ahead, not backwards. In teeno ke baad fourth cheez bhi jo main karunga has to be either bigger or better. So I would rather... because for them I am not a hero, I am a leading man, I am a character actor and I feel I have 15 more years to choose the right film. I’ll wait, everybody knows me and I have my agents and I am doing a lot of business, I have put my energies into the business part and the entrepreneur in me. So, why not wait for the best?

What’s happening to Modern Family?
So, after 24, which I am working on, these are the two formats: Modern Family and Prison Break. So, if these three formats work, I don’t have to look anywhere all my life. Even one life won’t be enough. My children will have to take all these franchises forward and I know they will. All of them are very creative. There is so much available to me. I want my company to be a boutique one. I don’t want to go into mass production. Nobody is really there to, you know, want you to go slow and steady and do one thing at a time.

Arjun Kapoor on weighty matters
Upala KBR (DNA; April 18, 2016)


Having been overweight once, are you paranoid about putting on that extra kilo today?
I have to be. I have fluctuated a lot in the last couple of years because of my own health issues. We have our own phases in life. Even actors are human beings so we have issues to deal with — physical, emotional and mental. I had one of those years where I had to recover. So yes, though I have that fear of putting on weight, I can’t stop living my life because of that fear. I work very hard in the gym. Sometimes, I come home very late around 1 am, but still I go and work out at the gym. I don’t ever stop. I try and work out at least six times a week with my trainer because that’s important for my body type which is so different from a typical Indian boy. I am so broad and big-structured that even two kilos on me can look like gaining 10 kilos and losing two kilos can also look like shedding 10 kilos. So I am in a strange predicament. I have always been considered to be broader and bigger so I have to be extra careful which I am okay with, as it’s part of the profession, but I don’t lose sleep over it. I have some faith in the fact that I have lost 50 kgs in four years, so I know my job about going about being healthy and I have done it in a very clean and good way, so I am very clear that I can do this. The body can try and stop you when you are very tired but you keep pushing and the results do come. I have seen that in that four-year phase. If you are patient your body reaps results, if not today then tomorrow or the next day. You just have to keep at it every day without stopping. You shouldn’t give up. Now I don’t get into that phase that if I eat one thing I will keep eating because I can’t lose the weight. If I have eaten a meal outside and have one bad night, the next day morning I will be on the treadmill to make sure that I burn those calories.

Tell me about doing pilates.
I started doing pilates because of injuries I sustained after Tevar and there was no solution unless I stopped physical activity. People would say, ‘You need to rest’, but that’s not an option for an actor. I found a better solution. Pilates is almost like undergoing rehab because you are improving your core — the smaller muscles that are not worked on in the gym on a regular basis. It strengthens you from within, from the deepest layer and that is very difficult. I do it once or twice a week as I can’t take out more time unfortunately. It’s very difficult, especially for a man. I wish I had gotten into it earlier, when I was 22-23, as my flexibility would have been better today.

I didn’t realise you had suffered so much in the last couple of years…
(Laughs) Nobody realises these things. I had a lot of cervical and neck issues. I used to suffer from vertigo because I had a cervical problem. Pilates has helped me open up, helped my posture, I also had a lot of issues with my shoulder… Pilates helps in all of this especially with your posture — the way you walk and stand, your movements… Now I am fine. The vertigo hasn’t come back for over a year. It started during the end of the shoot of 2 States. I shot Tevar with the cervical problem. Imagine shooting for an entire action film like that. Those are the things that one shouldn’t ignore. Now I have realised that I shouldn’t ignore the signs my body sends me. Now I put in that extra half an hour in a day to make sure that I am taking care of my body because I was in a very bad place. I have done four action films out of six, which were mostly physically gruelling. I am the only actor in my generation who has done so much of action and that took a toll on my body. When you are young you don’t realise what you are doing — falling, jumping, etc. You don’t want to say no to any action or use a body double or warm up, but just do it and I paid the price for that. All my directors used to caution me to be careful and warm up before the action scenes, stretch, use body doubles, but I would refuse because the excitement of becoming an actor was so much. So after Tevar I realised ki thoda sa time leke yeh sab masti karoonga, but I need to sort my body out before I get back into pushing myself.

You had the nickname Fubu as a kid. Was it because you were overweight?
(Laughs) I grew into the nickname and it just got stuck. For Us By Us (Fubu) is a brand in USA that makes jersey wear. It was a very cool brand back in the day. I used to wear only those jerseys and go hang with my friends. Actually, Ranbir (Kapoor) and two other friends of mine Tushar and Ishaan gave me this nick. Ranbir, Abhishek (Bachchan) and Karan (Johar) still call me Fubu. I was an AD on the sets of Kal Ho Naa Ho and I had a friend of mine, Ravi Chopra’s son Kapil, who was with me and used to call me Fubu on the sets. Then Karan started calling me that… I am okay with the nick as I find it quite sweet. They keep telling me that if I ever start my own production company, I should call it Fubu Films.

You did many stunts in the reality show you hosted (Khatron Ke Khiladi - Kabhi Peeda Kabhi Keeda) as well, right?
I was so excited that I went there and did what they wanted me to. I was like a child in a candy shop. When I shot for it, I was the most excited child in the world. They were taking me to Argentina for six weeks for a show where I got to do stunts, have animals around me, cars, bikes, helicopters — it was like a dream come true for me and I loved the experience. I am really happy that the channel is happy with the output as it’s a hit new target audience. It’s one of the coolest shows on Indian TV. Their safety levels are top notch. I was busy but I would keep fit by going for a long walk or go for a run in the middle of a stunt with my trainer because that was the only way. We would shoot 16-17 hours in a day. There were a lot of fit and inspiring boys also like Vivaan (D’Sena) and Siddharth (Shukla) on the show and whenever we would get an off, we would work out in the gym together. They were a good bunch of people and also fitness-conscious.

Arjun Kapoor on why he chose to do television so early in his career and setting the record straight on his tiff with Tanishaa Mukerji
Tushar Joshi (DNA; February 12, 2016)

Only six films old, Arjun Kapoor has now ventured into television hosting a popular action adventure reality show. Despite cynics who call it a risk, Arjun feels that doing TV will benefit him in the long run. In a candid chat, he muses about turning telly host and also the alleged cold war he had with Tanishaa Mukerji during the shoot..

Isn’t it too early in your career to do TV? Did that cross your mind before signing on a reality show?
All that crossed my mind. I mean if you look at it, logically, I am only six films old. I should be really consolidating my position and trying to hone my skills and all that, but what people don’t realise is we have a very box-office oriented, result-driven business. Our films might get appreciation, but if they don’t do box-office business, then it is irrelevant, unfortunately. It’s a very number-driven business. TV allows you to connect with even more people than you can imagine. It will help my films eventually. So when I got the opportunity, I was like, ‘I am sure this is early, but it’s amazing that I am going to build equity with people.’ Maybe, 10 years later, they’d have come to know about me; maybe two or three years later, they would have seen one film of mine on TV and said, ‘Let’s go and watch his movie in the theatre’. To get people out of their house to go to theatres is always impossible. A weekday ticket costs Rs 200-300 and if the movie releases on a holiday, forget it. So, you have to connect with the audience. One per cent of the population has gone and seen the biggest hit of the year. Only one per cent! So the pros and cons were all there, but there are actually pros in my case. Because I am so young, I can get away with it.

Did you speak to anyone before signing the show?
The decision was mine. When it was offered to me, there were only two people who I discussed it with, dad and Adi (Chopra). And they also agreed with whatever I was saying. And, if you see the way the channel has done a fantastic job in projecting the show, it is like a summer blockbuster. It has got that scale, that feel, it has got that look and vibe, it’s got energy, it’s got youth. For me, this was always the show that I could imagine hosting. So it fell into my lap.

You are a fun-loving guy. But as a host, did you have to maintain a distance from the contestants?
I did. I wasn’t their best friend off-camera. I wasn’t spending time with them post pack-up and definitely, you do maintain a decorum. I think that’s fair to the game because your personal biases are not important in the game and I didn’t know any of them, so that’s a big advantage. I have met Raghav (Juyal) once with Varun. I know Tanishaa socially. I had no emotional attachment to any contestant, so why should I compromise on that? I am supposed to be the most neutral part of the show, if I start getting biased, it changes the dynamics of the contestants towards me.

So like you said, there is a decorum maintained.
Off course, I had no point wanting them to feel that I am above them and I do not want to indulge with them. So I managed to balance it. I had a lot of fun with them on the show and I always encouraged them and supported them and you can see that we had banter and we were like friends... all of us, but they were also very focussed and clear. They also know what a host’s job is and at what point, he has to stop being close to them also. So, I couldn’t really go and discuss the stunt with them beforehand and I couldn’t be faffing around and fooling around. But they were a very well-behaved bunch of people. All of them were very focussed and very clear about why they had come. They had that burning desire and ambition. So I don’t think they came to be best friends with the host alone, they came to win that show. And that made my job pretty easy. Nobody came with any baggage of any bias towards me. They were only thinking about the show.

There are reports that Tanishaa was upset with you during the show..
When you see the show, I think that’s contrary to what the rumour is because I got along fine with her. We joked around, I yanked her chain quite a lot asking questions and I read somewhere about something to do with the tone of my voice.

Yes, it seems she didn’t like the tone of your voice..
Which is surprising to me but if she feels that way, I have no issue sitting face-to-face and resolving any issue and even apologizing, for that matter. If she has been offended, I’d be more than happy to. It is not a big deal, I have no issues with Tanishaa. She was very sweet on the show. I would like to believe it had more to do with factors other than me.

There were also reports that Jay and Mahi had a huge fight and things got really ugly.
I am the last person who can speak on this, because like I said, I maintained the decorum, I kept my distance. I stayed in a separate hotel, too. So I am the last person who can give you any clarity on that.

The movie stunts you’d want to try to pull off.
The opening sequence of Face/Off featuring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, the entire plane sequence. I used to find Face/Off really cool. Of course, Bad Boys the second Bad Boys, the car chases and all. As a kid growing up, these are the two films that definitely stuck with me. And True Lies, the scene with Arnold and the chopper.

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; February 10, 2016)

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 26, 2016)

Upala KBR (DNA; January 24, 2016)

The daredevil hosts of Khatron Ke Khiladi - Kabhi Peeda Kabhi Keeda usually try out physically demanding stunts. But Arjun Kapoor, who is hosting the show for the first time, has taken on a dare, that requires mental strength. He stuck his head in a box filled with killer bees and flies, his face smeared with sweet cream and attempted to eat strawberries at the same time. It is the first time in the history of the show that a host has taken up such a task.

Arjun will be seen performing the task in the season’s first episode itself. This would be the first of many tasks involving bugs, creepy-crawlies and reptiles that have been designed specifically to push the contestants to their limits in this season. Notes a source, “Over the years, the show’s daring hosts motivated and supported the contestants, especially when it came to tasks involving insects. Arjun is the first host to willingly offer to perform the task himself. During the task, his face became a pincushion for bee-stings, but he continued to perform till he ate all the strawberries. Arjun wanted to motivate the contestants not just with his words, but also with his actions. He also wanted to experience the adrenaline rush one experiences when doing such a stunt.”

Arjun says, “I always believe actions speak louder than words, even when it comes to motivating my contestants or khiladis. I have no phobias of anything, so I had fun doing this. Shooting this stunt was a blast!”

One of the contestants, Mahhi Vij, while watching Arjun laughed and said, “Aaj Kapoor khandaan kitna khush hoga!”

The director will be working on another show for another channel
DNA (January 2, 2016)


Meanwhile...
Khatron Ke Khiladi has changed its format along with the new host Arjun Kapoor. While Rohit’s stint saw him being a tough taskmaster, Arjun will be seen more as a friend to the contestants. There will be a comic touch to the goings-on. The promo, which has Arjun trying to extricate his football from a pack of snakes by mimicking a snakecharmer playing the pungi, is only the beginning.

MID-DAY (December 11, 2015)

The grapevine has been buzzing with rumours of telly couple Jay Bhanushali and Mahhi Vij’s marriage hitting a rocky patch. The duo, currently shooting in Argentina for Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi, recently hit headlines when the wife asked for a separate room following Jay’s alleged closeness with co-participant Parvathy Omanakuttan.

Now, we hear the actor called for spa service in his hotel room with a special request for an erotic massage. “To Jay’s shock, the spa manager turned up at the hotel to find out what exactly he wanted as part of the sensual massage package,” says a source, adding that a few other contestants overheard the manager asking Jay about his ‘exact requirements’.

Apparently, when Mahhi found out about her hubby’s special request later, she went ballistic. We don’t know if Jay managed to get that massage before his wife confronted him, but when we tried to get in touch with Jay for his side of the story, he remained unavailable.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; November 24, 2015)

Arjun Kapoor-hosted reality show in Argentina seems to be creating more buzz due to the antics of contestants than their adventurous pursuits. If sources are to be believed, telly couple Mahhi Vij and Jay Bhanushali, who are taking part in Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi, had an ugly spat in their Buenos Aires hotel room. Reason? Jay’s alleged growing closeness to another participant, model-turned-actress Parvathy Omanakuttan.

Sources state that Mahhi then apparently asked to be put up in a separate room. “She felt that her husband was getting too friendly with Parvathy and confronted him. That escalated into an expletive-laden exchange between the couple. Later, when Mahhi was asked why she wanted another room, she was overheard telling co-contestants about how Jay had behaved with her,” reveals a unit hand.

Jay and Mahhi had a hushhush wedding in 2011, but made it public only a year later. Two years later, there were reports about trouble in their paradise, but in early 2014, they put speculation to rest by exchanging wedding vows yet again while holidaying in Las Vegas. However, post that, there has been intermittent buzz about strained relations due to Mahi’s apparent possessive nature.

Mahhi remained unavailable for comment.

Arjun Kapoor on his television debut with reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 2, 2015)