In the 39 years of his profession, he has prepared for and taken on numerous roles. But the upcoming one — becoming a grandfather — has got actor Anil Kapoor the most excited. His daughter, actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, is expecting her first child with her husband, businessman Anand Ahuja. It’s also been reported that there will be a lavish baby shower for Sonam in Mumbai. 

The to-be grandpa laughs, “I think this is a role I can’t prepare for. I have to be very spontaneous about it.” He is looking forward to the arrival of the baby. “I really want D-Day to happen, and then I’ll tell you how I feel about it. My wife, Sunita (Kapoor), is preparing, but I have done no prep,” adds Kapoor. 

While he waits for this special occasion, on the professional front, he continues to bag one meaty role after the other.

Kapoor, who was recently seen in JugJugg Jeeyo, has Animal with actor Ranbir Kapoor and Fighter with actors Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in hand.

When asked what he thinks he has accomplished or done well in relation to his contemporaries — which makes him possibly the only actor of his generation who is still in demand — the 65-year-old says, “Talking about others is very wrong. Everybody has their own journey, with ups and downs. I can only talk about myself. I have been very fortunate and blessed. People know who I am. You are an actor and a star also, and today everybody wants to be known as that. But you are an actor first. And then, you get good roles.”

Lastly, the actor reflects that life has come full circle: “I recently completed 39 years in the industry. In my first film as a leading man, Woh Saat Din, I played Prem Patiala, who comes to Mumbai, and in Jugjugg..., too, I am from Patiala!”

Soon-to-be moms Alia Bhatt; Sonam K Ahuja are among those currently training with Anshuka Parwani; Parwani with Pernia Qureshi. Pics/Instagram

Yoga appears to be the go-to exercise regimen that Bollywood’s to-be moms are turning to. Celebrity yoga trainer Anshuka Parwani, who has been training Alia Bhatt and Sonam K Ahuja during their pregnancies, reveals that actresses today are less apprehensive about their physical appearance, and have been approaching pregnancies “as the natural next step” in their life. 

“[Both Alia and Sonam] were curious about how their practices would differ during their pregnancies, and wanted to understand why we were doing what we did. Conversations would change over the different trimesters, because each trimester brings about different changes in the body.”

Yoga, she reveals, can address all the different fitness components that can benefit pregnant women. “Each time you arrive for a session, you are shocking your own body. Your body is heavier than the last time, and performing the same movements becomes tougher. You don’t need to supplement [it with another exercise form], but walking is beneficial. I also encourage them to practise breath-work, because that keeps stress in check.”

Staying active, says Parwani, is equally important, both during pregnancy, and after delivery. Highlighting that she would encourage both Bhatt and Ahuja to resume training within six weeks of delivery, Pawani says both the actors have continued to stay active during their ongoing pregnancies. “Sonam may not be out of a shooting schedule, but during her time in London, she would walk about Hyde Park frequently. Staying active also enables women to progress through their pregnancies [with ease].”

Parwani highlights that exercise patterns for both the actors were altered based on their daily requirements. “Swelling of arms and feet are common, so we do asanas that enable them to reduce bloating. We avoid postures that involve hyper-extension, because that exerts pressure on the muscles of the core. If one of them did not feel centred enough, we’d focus on balancing asanas. If they felt stiff, we’d focus on flexibility.”

Parwani, who also trained fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi during her pregnancy, reveals that training thrice a week is usually recommended. “I often encourage women to also do activities like sweeping the floor, because that posture is beneficial for them. But, it’s essential to pay attention to one’s safety. Avoid things like hot yoga, or classes [along those lines], and don’t start something new. Unless it has been specified by a medical professional, I encourage women to do their own work during this time. Concepts like eating for two during pregnancy are old-school.”

- Sharing a string of images of her practising yoga, both before and during her pregnancy, Anushka Sharma advocated its benefits. 

- Having spoken about her love for yoga on multiple occasions, Kareena Kapoor Khan also practised the form during her pregnancy.

- Practising yoga during pregnancy, Soha Ali Khan had previously said in an interview, enabled her to develop a close bond with her child. She had spoken about adjusting her routine, and avoiding prone positions during a period of her pregnancy.

It’s not everyday you have this father-son duo talk about their equation as co-actors, and the bond they share off camera. As Anil Kapoor and Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor gear up to share the screen again in the Netflix film Thar, two years since their first onscreen outing together in AK vs AK, they get candid about collaborating with a family member and if at all it changes anything on set. Excerpts:

ANIL: What really excited me about being part of Thar is that we’re not playing father and son. We play characters. With Sonam (Kapoor Ahuja; actor-daughter), in The Zoya Factor and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019), I was playing her father. If given a choice, I’d rather do a film [with my kids] where we’re actually strangers.

HARSH: When you do maybe a more star-driven film, then you’re a little more conscious. But Thar is a character-driven film, so you just kind of try and submit to the world you are a part of.

HARSH: The directors I’ve worked with — Vikramaditya Motwane, Vasan Bala and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra — couldn’t care less. They’re not starstruck in any way; they’re focused and proud of their work. I’ve not been in any starry-kind of films, so I don’t really feel like I’ve been treated differently. I’ve just been like any other actor on set.

ANIL: You would be surprised, but I don’t give much advice to my kids. I just let them be. All the films that Harsh and Sonam have done so far, they have got them on their own. I had no contribution. I am not one of those fathers who sits down with a stick and gives gyaan. In fact, the whole family is very independent and has their own point of view and tastes in food, films, clothes, and aesthetics. There’s nobody who’s anybody’s fan in our house.

ANIL: For me, it’s always a combination of who I’m working with, who the director is, and, of course, the material has to be good. Somewhere, I think, through Harsh, I’m getting an opportunity to work with the younger filmmakers and let them navigate me.

HARSH: For quite a long time, I’ve been working with director Raj Singh Chaudhary, to make sure that this happens. I came on board in 2018, then we got dad towards the end of 2019. We shot it last year and now it is set for release.

HARSH: There’s definitely more responsibility to ensure things are how we dream them to be. There’s no room for complacency or wasting time because time is money, especially on a film set.

ANIL: When I’m on the set, I’m not a producer, I’m just an actor. Also, I’m not a very intrusive or confrontational person.

-------------------------------------------------

I was very emotional on hearing the news [of Sonam’s pregnancy]. She’s a perfectionist in whatever she does. I’m sure she’d be a perfect mother, too. The way she has been, she has taken the aesthetics from her mother, grandmother, and her maasi (Kaveeta Bhambhani Singh), who’s an interior designer. So, all the women in the house had that [good taste]. And they’ve all been great mothers, wives, and homemakers, and Sonam will also be like that. Even professionally, all of them have worked all their lives. Sonam also loves working. She’s a very passionate actor, wife and daughter, and would be a passionate mother now. She’s very generous and very giving. People just love her. She hasn’t had a [film] release for quite some time, but I’m sure she’s going to do even better films after she delivers and gets back to work. She’s looking forward to getting back to work soon.