Showing posts with label Kunaal Roy Kapur interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kunaal Roy Kapur interview. Show all posts
10 Years of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani: My character acted as a catalyst for Bunny’s change of heart-Kunaal Roy Kapur
11:05 AM
Navya Kharbanda (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 31, 2023)
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.
Indians don’t take to self-deprecating comedy or the comedy of discomfort-Kunaal Roy Kapur
8:00 AM
Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; January 4, 2018)
Kunaal Roy Kapur’s breakout performance in Delhi Belly (2011) catapulted him into the limelight. Soon after, the actor played significant roles in films like Nautanki Saala (2013), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Action Jackson (2014). Now, he is teaming up for the second time with Delhi Belly writer, Akshat Verma, who is making his directorial debut with Kaalakaandi. The dark comedy also stars Saif Ali Khan, Sobhita Dhulipala, Vijay Raaz and Deepak Dobriyal. In a candid chat with BT, Kunaal talks about how not being a big star is liberating for an actor as it allows him to take up a variety of roles, and how despite his family being a part of the industry, they don’t rely on each other professionally. Excerpts...
The roles you have essayed so far have been diverse, but you haven’t really limited your career for the lack of lead roles…
If you get an opportunity to choose roles, you should pick grey characters and not the heroic ones. It’s more interesting to watch grey characters on screen. However, sometimes, people might have difficulty in understanding that an actor is just playing a character and not endorsing bad behaviour. It happens mostly with superstars, who wield immense influence on their fans. In my case, I don’t need to worry about it because I am not at that level. I can play the villain, the lead or even a character role for that matter. In fact, that’s what’s liberating for an actor like me.
Your made your acting debut with a role in the television series, Just Mohabbat. Looking back, how would you gauge the way your career has evolved?
I never harboured any aspiration of a great career in acting. So, every role that I can sink my teeth into is a bonus for me. I hope that I have a long career. I know that there will be some standout performances and some crappy ones as well. Having said that, I am happy with the way things have shaped up so far. Not having a career in the movies would have been far worse.
There was a lot of brouhaha around the profanity-laden dialogues in Delhi Belly. Kaalakaandi also has a lot of cuss words being thrown around. Do you think it’s an intrinsic part of Akshat’s scripts?
Some people categorized Delhi Belly as a film which only has abusive language. Films reflect how people would respond in a given situation. Often, cuss words come out of our mouths in certain scenarios. Isn’t that what dialogue writing is all about? When cuss words are used, it’s scene and character-appropriate. As a writer, Akshat is just staying true to the situation. In the process, he is neither encouraging nor discouraging the use of bad language. In many of our films, the dialogues often ring untrue because they are catering to a family audience and so, cannot be true to reality. However, if you are making a film for an adult audience, the writer should be free to write the way that best conveys reality.
There were reports that the Censor Board wanted 72 cuts in the film...
I think Kaalakaandi was one of the last films that went into certification when Mr Pahlaj Nihalani was at the helm of affairs. We were in a hurry to release the film and so, we went to the Tribunal directly and got the certification.
Kaalakaandi is a dark comedy. It’s a genre that has not been explored here as much as in the West. Why do you think that’s the case?
There are many kinds of comedies that Indians don’t take to, like self-deprecating comedy or the comedy of discomfort. Also, I think we struggle with self-criticism. People laugh at stereotypes, but if the comedy is accusatory or critical, we get sensitive. In a dark comedy, you are laughing at an unfortunate event. If one were to make a joke out of death, it might not be acceptable to many. But with the younger audiences being exposed to a variety of content online, tastes are changing. Kaalakaandi is darker than Delhi Belly, but it’s not blue comedy.
Considering your two brothers (Siddharth Roy Kapur and Aditya Roy Kapur) and your sister-in-law (Vidya Balan) are all associated with films, would you call yourselves a bonafide film family?
I think so. Many people say, ‘Oh, now they have it easy’. What people don’t realise is that I have been part of this for close to 20 years. So, it hasn’t happened overnight. Vidya has had her own journey. She started working in films after doing commercials and TV. Thereon, she went from strength to strength. Aditya also started with television. Siddharth worked his way into films after doing corporate jobs like selling washing powder. We are proud to be working in the film industry in different capacities, but we don’t rely on each other professionally. Our family has not been in the movies for generations, but we found ourselves here and have now become a film family.
I have to check my own IMDB for the films I’ve done-Kunaal Roy Kapur
1:35 PM
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 10, 2017)
When we meet the man behind the big belly from Delhi Belly, Kunaal Roy Kapur at an Andheri café, he’s wolfing down a salad. His new frame to accommodate his present projects — a web series that takes a dig at the skittish outlook of those in the business of social media (Going Viral), an “unconventional comedy” alongside Saif Ali Khan (Kaalakaandi), and his first lead in an upcoming supernatural thriller. About this altered shape, he quickly says, “I haven’t lost it all yet.” The reason for the transformation, he says, was “to become a healthier person”.
“People see me as a comic actor. To break out of that, there was effort needed from my end,” says the 38-year-old, who was requested by the director of his next film to shape up to slip into character. Ironically, Kapur’s most notable performance in the 2011 black comedy Delhi Belly had him shoot up the scales to 118kgs. But his much-lauded performance, he remembers, didn’t translate in sizeable projects. “By the time the film released, I had lost the weight I’d gained for the character and had also shaved my beard. So, when they called me for auditions, I didn’t match the fat bearded guy they had seen in the film and wanted to cast,” he laments.
But Kapur, who started out with theatre at 12 and even assisted Boman Irani as a photographer, says he’s never had a lull, even while he didn’t always work with big banners. Though he agrees, “In every actor’s life, there are months when you scratch your head and wonder what’s in store and for every break you get, there are 20 things that fizzle out.” He swipes his phone to add, “I have to check my own IMDB for the films I’ve done,” says the actor who made his big screen debut in the 2007 comedy Panga Na Lo — a film that conjures a disturbing memory. The actor booked first-day-first-show tickets at Metro for his entire family but on arriving at the theatre, the show was cancelled.
“It was embarrassing because old aunts had come for it too,” says Kapur who later starred in Loins of Punjab Presents, Nautanki Saala and even directed The President Is Coming (adapted from the play of the same name) — a film that “released on the fateful day of 26-11” — the night of the Mumbai terror attacks which naturally affected the film’s box office. Another promising performance that went unnoticed was the partially bald lawyer he played in Azhar last year. His curious makeover into a middle-aged Hyderabadi rendered him literally unrecognisable. But this doesn’t bother him one bit.
“I love that nobody recognized me. If I can go through my career with roles where no one recognizes me, I will be the happiest guy.” Despite scattered successes and misses, Kapur’s survival is often pegged by some as a blatant example of nepotism, given that his celebrated brothers — former UTV boss Siddharth Roy Kapur and actor Aditya Roy Kapur — have well-entrenched roots in the industry. But Roy refutes this belief. “I automatically gain a status on the basis of whose brother I am but I don’t gain any work because of it,” he says, adding that the siblings often discuss films but have never considered collaborating. “I’m not saying it won’t happen in the future but we’ve never had conversations such as — ‘this a project we should do together’ or ‘you act in it’ or ‘you produce it’.”
Ahead of his upcoming horror film The Final Exit, the actor says that he isn’t scared of the limited success the genre has garnered in India. “What’s the worst that could happen? It won’t do well. But I’ve had films which haven’t done well and I’ve survived and I’m still acting,” he says, adding that his upcoming thriller packs in “suspense, mystery and atmosphere”. “If horror is done well, it can work. But when you think horror in India, you think Ramsay, Vikram Bhatt… where bhoots come and do things.” In Delhi Belly writer Akshat Verma’s Kaalakaandi, he plays a character which cannot be billed as funny but “is put into shitty situations”. “Falling down is called slapstick because you’re laughing at a person’s pain. But when you make a person crumble and fall — through conversation or situations — it’s a version of the same.”
An alumnus of G D Somani School, Kapur dropped out of St Xavier’s College to break into TV with the coming-of-age drama Just Mohabbat. But soon, he realised the content didn’t interest him and consciously “kept away from TV” ever since. His latest web series that caricatures the life of those in digital agencies, however, is the kind he enjoys now. “It talks about the times we live in — driven by social media and online popularity — it’s frivolous and ludicrous content,” he says about the show created by comedian Anuvab Pal, adding,“It’s also a social commentary without calling attention to it.”
His interest in the space is validated by the medium’s growing audience.“Why people aren’t showing up at theatres has to do with the multiple options that they have sitting at home.” Aware of the pitfalls of disappointing the millennial internet audience, Kapur feels that while “they may be unforgiving; they always give you another opportunity”.
Ranbir Kapoor's life is far more boring than mine-Kunaal Roy Kapur
8:10 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; November 24, 2014)
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.
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.
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