Aahana Kumra doesn’t believe in letting go of her roots. So, even though she is busy with films and web shows, the actress makes it a point to keep time aside for theatre. At the start of her journey, Aahana did several plays with Naseeruddin Shah’s theatre group.

Talking about performing in front of a live audience, she says, “I was introduced to theatre very early on. I have always stayed in touch with theatre, while there are so many actors who stopped doing it after they stepped into the world of movies. I made a conscious decision to continue doing theatre”.

She adds, “There are some plays that take us back to rehearsals. We have to cut off from the world consciously for those two or three months and this is exactly what happened with my recent play Constellations with Kunaal Roy Kapur.”

Aahana feels that there are several mediums that have opened up when it comes to entertainment, but there will always be an audience for live performances. She says, “I can say that first-hand as I have been doing theatre for so many years. I have seen housefull boards. Sometimes we have the same people coming for the shows repeatedly. Maybe they love to come and listen to the lines or they just find solace in that space.”

It’s been a decade since the rom-com Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) was released. Actor Kunaal Roy Kapur, who played a small yet pivotal role in the Ayan Mukerji-directed film, waxes nostalgic while reminiscing about the fun he had while shooting. 

“Its success was one thing, but what you really carry forward are the great memories of making it and spending time with other actors,” he shares.

Talking about his character Taran, the NRI who gets married to Aditi (Kalki Koechlin), the 44-year-old reveals that it wasn’t just a funny cameo. “Taran is a loved character in the sense that Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) sees something in Taran and Aditi as a couple, and that somehow changes his attitude towards love and his priorities in life. Ayan and I had discussed this at length as to how Taran, sort of, acts as a catalyst for Bunny’s change of heart towards Naina (Deepika Padukone). Perhaps that’s why the character still resonates and is remembered by people,” says the actor.

Among all the iconic scenes, Kapur’s dance sequence with actor Evelyn Sharma is a favourite for the actor. “Evelyn and I had a great time putting that dance together. We were just trying to come up with crazy steps,” he shares. He recounts one of the most difficult scenes — the one where he jumps into a swimming pool to fetch his engagement ring: “It was not easy; the water was really cold, and we shot for that scene at night.”

Ask if he anticipated YJHD to become a cult film, and Kapur admits that no one expected the film to have this kind of longevity. “It has become one of those rom-coms that people like to revisit. Nobody thought that it would connect with the audience, even after so many years. So yes, it definitely took everyone by surprise,” he concludes.

One of the web world's favourite children, Aahana Kumra is taking a break from intense dramas to try her hand at comedy. She resumed shooting for Rohan Sippy's upcoming series, Sandwich, after six months of the state-imposed Coronavirus lockdown.

On call since a month-and-a-half, Kumra claims she didn't fear getting back to work. "As actors, [being in front of the camera] is what we look forward to every day, that's why I wasn't scared. We are wrapping up the shoot in a week," says the actor of the Sony LIV series, which sees her in a comic role. "It has been an amazing experience as this is the first time I am attempting comedy on screen, especially with this mad cast [Kunaal Roy Kapur and Atul Kulkarni]. Although, I love doing humour, it is not an easy genre," adds the Lipstick Under My Burkha actor, who has done comedy on stage.

That she could enable her team to make an income by resuming filming was impetus to do this offering. "I am finally able to give my team work; they have been [unemployed] for months. My spot boy came home and requested me to 'pick up work' so he could pay his bills. I picked up the show for my staff. Luckily, the perfect project came to me at the right time."

Abhinay Deo is all set to direct his next untitled film that will be a comedy thriller. What's interesting is that the film will be produced by Rakesh Roshan with its music composed by Rajesh Roshan. The film has Irrfan Khan and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead with Aditi playing Irrfan's wife. The film starts shooting end of February and will be shot in Mumbai and Lucknow and also stars Kunal Kapoor, Kunaal Roy Kapur and Vijay Raaz. With the supremely talented director Abhinay Deo and the experienced producer Rakesh Roshan, we only expect the best and eagerly await the film.

Kunaal Roy Kapur, 35, is a rare person you meet in the world of Bollywood. His biography in his own words would read something like this: There was a guy, he was born, he got married, had two kids, was happy and he died. While it may sound really boring, it is rare to meet a man, who despite being in the glamour world, is so satisfied with his mundane, everyday life looking at the balcony of a building with his school friend and wife Shayonti Salvi and still feel really happy and content. Ahead of his upcoming action entertainer, Action Jackson, he talks to Bombay Times about his driven older brother Siddharth Roy Kapur, his affectionate but filthy younger brother Aditya Roy Kapur and how he wants to direct a dark comedy soon. Excerpts:

How did you come into films?
My nana and nani were both dance teachers and had their own studio in Colaba, so, my mother too got trained in Latin American and ballroom dancing. She used to be a choreographer and used to teach dance. My father used to be in the army and subsequently he got into his own exports and imports business. I started acting on stage from when I was just about 12 and continued doing theatre through college and got selected for a show on television called Just Mohabbat. I did not finish my graduation. I was in Xavier's, but could not get the subjects I wanted. I was not unintelligent but marks-wise, I was bad throughout school and would get marks in the 40s. My parents did not care as they knew that ultimately these things don't matter if you can find things that you would like to do or are good at. I was keenly interested in photography and assisted Boman Irani for a long time as a photographer. I had done this play with him called I'm Not Bajirao in 1996 while I was still a teenager. His acting career was just taking off at that time and so he was sort of winding up that time. So, I started running the studio with another boy till I was about 28. I also did theatre with a whole bunch of people including Aamir Raza Husain and Alyque Padamsee before I directed a play called The President Is Coming. Rohan Sippy liked it so much that he produced a film based on it with me as the director. The film had Konkana Sen Sharma, but unfortunately, was slated to release on the eve of 26/11. We had to postpone the release to January when it ran for five weeks as there were not too many options. I subsequently auditioned for the role in Delhi Belly and was selected.

What are you like?
I am a family sort of guy with two kids. I got married to my school friend Shayonti Salvi in 2005 (she is half-Maharashtrian and half-Sindhi). She was an interior designer and now is a ceramic artist. I am a chilled sort of guy who is not pushy at all. I am happy taking the work that comes my way.

Who do you love the most in the world?
My wife, I guess. I love the life we have together. We are both similar and equally lazy. We are both artistically inclined. We like looking at art, looking at buildings and are happy to look at a lovely balcony. We are into those kind of little details of the world. My wife is not that much into people as I am. I am a more people's person than she is. So, that's a sort of strong difference, but apart from that we are very similar.

Talk about your celebrity brothers Siddharth Roy Kapur and Aditya Roy Kapur?
We all share different relationships with each other, but they are of equal closeness. While Siddharth is five years older to me, Aditya is six years younger. Siddharth is extremely driven and focused and is very large-hearted. He genuinely tries to find the best in people and is a positive type of guy. He is not as cynical as the two of us. He is also a stickler for keeping things neat and tidy. That I am not and am pretty much the opposite. And Aditya, of course, is the other dirty extreme and lives in a sty. He wallows in it and rolls in the junk in his house. We all live on our own. While Aditya lives in Bandra, Siddharth lives in Juhu, I am in Kemps Corner and our parents in Colaba. Aditya is a little more similar to me, as in, he too doesn't push himself and is very laid-back just like me. In fact, between us, I think Aditya is probably even more laidback. The one thing we all have is we are very keen observers of how other people are feeling and of human situations. Like what the dynamic in the room is, who said what to whom. We are therefore sensitive to human interaction and emotion. After that, either one can choose to be diplomatic about it or choose to ignore him. I am the guy who is aware, but will ignore it. What I like the most about Siddharth is how he is stable like a rock. You can put trust and faith in him. And Aditya is extremely affectionate.

What is it like to be the middle child?
The middle child always gets lumped the most with the responsibility of doing certain things as the older one is too old to do them and the younger one is too young. So, I was lumped with the responsibility of paying the electricity bill, getting the bread and doing the clean up after the lunch. And if the maid did not turn up, to help around the house. I think I was just the adjusting one and everyone assumed that he is there na, he will do it. What do you like the most about yourself? That I can find anything interesting. For instance, the edge of a glass detail. I will look at it and will think, what is the right profile for it so that it doesn't hurt anyone? Why do some light bulbs last longer than other ones? I don't take things too seriously and can prioritise and see the larger picture. I have perspective on what is important and what is not. I am not just mature but very peaceful. I don't like the fact that I don't push myself enough and value myself enough and I could do better with that.

From a world view, both your brothers are more successful than you in terms of career. Does that bother you?
It doesn't bother me at all. You have your personal gauges for success. Something that gives one person joy doesn't necessarily give the other person joy. So, in that sense, we are all sort of successful as we are pursuing things we want to and have prioritised that in our lives.

What do you look forward to in your life?
I look forward to being healthy and watching crops grow. The main thing is I like to live a healthy life and see my kids grow into happy people and share a good relationship with the people you love.

You seem to lead a very boring life?
I think Ranbir Kapoor's life is far more boring than mine. Because I don't have to do all that rubbish he has to do. He has to all the time try and make people happy, be it his fans or others, and so, in many ways, your life is not your own. If you lead that life, you realise that actually that's a very boring life. That is why stars enjoy their time away .So, in many ways the life that you think of mine as boring is not as boring. My petty problems that I need to solve myself and find joy in, Ranbir Kapoor may not have the liberty of even getting into those problems. He may have other problems and he may find joy in solving them, but his life is about having to please many people. And that is true for most stars.

Given how laid-back you are, how did Prabhu Dheva manage to energise you?
He has supreme clarity even though he has language barriers. He is clear on how he wants a sequence to be shot and is very committed to the craziness he wants to execute.His comedy comes from a very visual kind of sense.

Would you like to direct again?
Yes, I would like to direct a satire or a dark comedy.