when Anil Kapoor played himself in AK Vs AK (2020), portraying himself and calling himself a failure, received calls from other actors asking him not to do the film. Speaking at a recent session in Mumbai, the actor discussed how he chooses his roles.
“I’ve found that when something is written with me in mind, most of the time, I don’t make that movie because it feels repetitive, it feels fake.” Anil he said while mentioning that movies like Mashaal (1984), Mr. India (1987) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008) among others, were written with the other actors in mind.
He said that films like Woh 7 Din (1983), Mashaal (1984), Karma (1986), Mr. India (1987), Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and even AK vs AK (2020) were written with other actors in mind.
He said, “But most of the time, I feel like the scripts that have come to me over the last four decades, I’ve seen that are something I’ve never done before, lines I’ve never spoken. That’s what appeals to me. I find something that feels like sir ye kar chuka hoon, most of the time, I pass this movie. At least, I tried to do that. Sometimes, it was really detrimental to my career, my star image, people ask me – ‘Yaar, tu itna bada star hai, ye role kar raha hai?’ When I did Ishwar (1989), I had streaks of hit films, but I did Ishwar. When I did Ak vs AK, all the actors called me and said ‘how can you do this role?’ In Ak vs Ak, I mostly talk about my failures – I’m not a star, I’m a failure.”
The moderator interrupted: “But you roast yourself (in the movie).”
Anil said, “People don’t understand this. There are very few skilled people who understand that he (Anil Kapoor) is baking himself. Most of the audience will feel – “ye kya ho raha hai? Pagal ho gaya lagta hai. We imagine him as Mr. India, we imagine him as Lakhan.” But this is the journey I took.”
“I’ve found that when something is written with me in mind, most of the time, I don’t make that movie because it feels repetitive, it feels fake.” Anil he said while mentioning that movies like Mashaal (1984), Mr. India (1987) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008) among others, were written with the other actors in mind.
He said that films like Woh 7 Din (1983), Mashaal (1984), Karma (1986), Mr. India (1987), Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and even AK vs AK (2020) were written with other actors in mind.
He said, “But most of the time, I feel like the scripts that have come to me over the last four decades, I’ve seen that are something I’ve never done before, lines I’ve never spoken. That’s what appeals to me. I find something that feels like sir ye kar chuka hoon, most of the time, I pass this movie. At least, I tried to do that. Sometimes, it was really detrimental to my career, my star image, people ask me – ‘Yaar, tu itna bada star hai, ye role kar raha hai?’ When I did Ishwar (1989), I had streaks of hit films, but I did Ishwar. When I did Ak vs AK, all the actors called me and said ‘how can you do this role?’ In Ak vs Ak, I mostly talk about my failures – I’m not a star, I’m a failure.”
The moderator interrupted: “But you roast yourself (in the movie).”
Anil said, “People don’t understand this. There are very few skilled people who understand that he (Anil Kapoor) is baking himself. Most of the audience will feel – “ye kya ho raha hai? Pagal ho gaya lagta hai. We imagine him as Mr. India, we imagine him as Lakhan.” But this is the journey I took.”
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