Shraddha is my Close Friend – Aditya Roy Kapur

Aditya Roy Kapur is resolutely present when he talks and willing to go wherever the conversation takes him. There’s something compellingly unusual about the actor, who’s only recently hit upon sudden unprecedented success. Yes, Aditya Roy Kapur is coming off a big year. A career-altering blockbuster of a year. Read Aashiqui 2 and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD). But the young actor knows that what he does next will ultimately define his place in the industry.  As we settle down for a conversation at a suburban bar-cum-restaurant in Mumbai, some girls shout, ‘Hey you, we love you!’ Really, that’s what they scream from a distance. Once Aditya gives them a friendly wave, the ‘Hey you’ girls drunkenly shuffle up to our corner table and ask if Aditya will pose for a picture. He does. “It’s pretty interesting,” he says of the whole serendipitous and charmed new non-normalcy of being Aditya Roy Kapur. With that sorted, he orders a piping hot black coffee and we begin our interview that traces the journey of his newfound success. Excerpts…

Question: You’ve had a great year with Aashiqui 2 becoming a runaway hit and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani being the 3rd highest grosser in the history of Indian cinema. Did you anticipate this?

Answer: Honestly, you can never foresee something like this. I just took my time, chose the films I believed in and worked hard. And that has paid off. So I am naturally thrilled. I always had the feeling that I was on the right track but I never imagined life would change so much for me. I am happy about the fact that I’ll get to do more good work. That’s something every actor lives for.

Question: You had once said that you’d be more comfortable doing offbeat cinema. With two commercial successes, has your attitude changed?

Answer: I never grew up being enamoured by the industry or by the idea of being an actor or a star or this being the be all and end all of my life. I am figuring things out as they come. Yes, five years ago, I couldn’t imagine doing mainstream cinema. I believed I’d be doing something more offbeat. But the truth is, all my films have been commercial. Right from London Dreams to Action Replayy to Guzaarish and now Aashiqui 2 and YJHD. It’s only now that I’ve realised that this is what I enjoy doing. So I shouldn’t be having delusions about the kind of actor I am.

Question: So it’s box-office success above all else for you?

Answer: I want a large number of people to watch my films. From a rickshaw wallah to the shopper at a mall, everyone loved Aashiqui 2. I want to continue doing films that connect with the audience. Also, at the end of the day, we are in a business. So who wouldn’t like to be known as a commercially viable actor who can bring in the moolah? I would.

Question: Both your brothers Siddharth Roy Kapur (MD, Studios, Disney UTV) and Kunaal Roy Kapur (actor) are in show business. Any plans of working with them?

Answer: Well, we’ve all decided to consciously stay out of each other’s careers. It’s been a no-brainer really. We’ve all found success through our own separate paths and I’d rather it remain like that. Yes, if some director goes to Sid and says he wants to cast me in the film, he’s not going to say no. But he won’t go out of his way to promote me or Kunaal. Kunaal is doing well. I’m getting there, so there’s no reason to get into that zone. Maybe we’ll all think about working together in the future. But not right now.

Question: Apparently, you have been offered quite a few films with Kunaal after YJHD.

Answer: Well, people have come to us with a few scripts. Let’s see what happens. It’s still a long shot because neither of us will finalise on anything till we’re not sure that the film would be amazing. I had a fabulous time working with Kunaal on YJHD. I’d love to do it again soon.

   Question: What kind of a rapport do you share with your bhabhi, Vidya Balan Roy Kapur?

   Answer: We are family. We spend time together on weekends. We talk films. I don’t share a formal bhabhi-devar relationship with her. We’re more like friends, who sit around cracking jokes. She’s a new addition to our crazy family and we have a blast together every Sunday afternoon.

   Question: Do you take career advice from her, since she’s successfully created her own niche in the industry?

   Answer: Not in a conscious way. I don’t call her and ask her what to do. We all know what’s going on in each other’s lives. So there are always suggestions and points of view thrown around. I do take cues from her about the way she approaches her work, etc. But my life’s decisions are my own and ditto with Siddharth and Kunaal. We don’t tell each other how to live.

Question: Vidya is supposedly doing a film with Mohit Suri and the Bhatts. Since you’ve worked with them, have you given her any tips on what she should expect?

Answer: I haven’t met her for a while. Both she and my brother have been busy running around here and there. But I guess I will talk to her about all that when I meet her. I just haven’t had the chance yet.

Question: Besides your film with Yash Raj, it’s said that you’ve signed another project with the Bhatts and one with Bejoy Nambiar. True?

Answer: I haven’t signed anything besides my YRF film yet. I am still looking at scripts. But I am damn kicked about working with director Habib Faisal and Parineeti Chopra. They’re both talented people. So it should be fun.

Question: Name a few directors that are on your wish list at the moment.

Answer: Dibakar Banerjee, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vishal Bhardwaj, all directors I’ve worked with. In fact, there are quite a few talented directors around. I’d love to work with all of them.

Question: Do you get bogged down by competition considering the amount of newcomers that debut every year?

Answer: The thought of stepping up one’s game and doing better is there in everyone’s mind. But once you allow it to affect you negatively, there’s no end to it. It’s a big industry and there are always going to be young guys and girls coming in. If you get bogged down by competition and keep comparing yourself to others, you’ll lose your mind. I appreciate the work of my peers, see why they are good at what they’re doing, take a cue from them and move on.

Question: So insecurities have never got the better of you?

Answer: Yes, they have. When I am working, I always feel the need to improve. I do get insecure about my capabilities at times because we always have scope to get better. I guess actors are an insecure breed. If I can approach a film at this stage in my career with absolute conviction about being able to nail it, then I guess I’ve lost it. It’s only the fear of getting it wrong that makes you put in those 20 extra hours of work.

Question: Have you ever felt like you couldn’t do it?

Answer: Yeah. On so many days I’ve felt like giving up. In fact, I’ve felt like this on every film. But I’ve realised that everyone has those days when they feel they can’t do it. You just have to trudge through it and believe that a better day will come where you’ll be proud of your achievements. Invariably, that day does come.

Question: Tell me, what is the biggest misconception people have about you?

Answer: Fortunately, I’ve been able to take everything with a pinch of salt. People have these preconceived notions about how I got so far in my career. Many feel it’s because of other reasons and not my hard work. But I don’t take it or them seriously. People talk. There will always be a section of people who’d want to bring you down. So I don’t let loose talk affect me.

Question: Recently, there have been strong rumours linking you to Shraddha Kapoor. Are you seeing her?

Answer: See, we’ve gone through this amazing experience together (Aashiqui 2) because of which both our lives have changed. Only the two of us know how things have happened, so we can identify with what’s going on in each other’s lives. We’re very close. She’s a good friend. We chill and party together. That’s about it.

Question: So you’re single?

Answer: Yes, I am because I haven’t found someone who I really want to be with or commit to.