Comedy roles add excitement to my acting career: Shakti
By Francis A. Clifford Cardozo
Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, May 25, 2008:
From being a baddie to an actor who can tickle the funny bone, the journey of well-known Bollywood star Shakti Kapoor has been of even consistency.
Kapoor’s finesse to dish out both comedy and villainous roles with equal panache has
made him a household name and a much sought after actor among Bollywood directors.
Kapoor was in Kuwait for a shoot of the film “Kahin Na Kahin Milenge...,” which is
being helmed by T-Bush and Arif Kazi. The film also stars Kiran Kumar, Manisha
Kelkar, Razak Khan, Amit Bhanshuli, Diana Rodrigues, Naresh Nagada, Zoffin among
others.
In an interview to the Arab Times on Sunday, Kapoor avers that soon after crossing
over 200 films, he grew tired of playing villainous roles. “At that point, I thought
comedy would infuse an element of excitement in my acting career and that is what
precisely happened. Today I am happy that I made the right decision.”
The actor finds a comedy role more exigent as against playing a baddie. “It is a
daunting task to play a comedy role for it is tall order to make people laugh. One the other hand, anyone can scare people or make them sad,” he adds.
Internationally, Kapoor is the only actor to have acted in a staggering 750 films and will “continue acting till his last breath.”
In the film “Kahin Na Kahin Milenge...,” Kapoor stars as a patriot, who is proud of his Indian culture, and laments the fact that it is besieged by Western influence.
He has a daughter, whom he showcases as the best daughter in the world, but soon realizes to his horror that she is pregnant outside the wedlock and this knocks out the stuffing in him.
“The film is packed with emotion and people are definitely going to remember mother India when they watch it. The film also showcases the culture of Kuwait.
Kuwaitis hold Indians in high esteem and people of both countries share brotherly
ties.”
Talented
In his career spanning over 30 years, Kapoor teamed with another talented actor
Kader Khan, and both have churned out some of the finest slapstick flicks Bollywood
has ever made. Kapoor was nominated for the Filmfare Award in the Best Comedian
category many a time but won only once for his role in the film Raja Babu which set the box office on fire.
Kapoor says the entire crew of the film “Kahin Na Kahin Milenge...” has been in high spirits and everyone worked in perfect harmony thereby creating camaraderie. “I am of the firm belief that the film is strong technique and story wise and as a result should do well at the box office. If everything goes according to the plans, the film should hit the streets by end of this year.”
The actor found himself in the eye of controversy when he reportedly asked a journalist, posing as an aspiring actress, for sexual favours in a sting operation.
Terming the reports as baseless, he thundered:
“It was utter rubbish. Somebody hatched a conspiracy against me. What is
important is that film industry gave me a clean chit as so also my fans and friends
stood by me. The truth eventually prevailed and everyone has seen what happened.”
“Acting is all about being natural...you ought to express your emotions in a very natural manner and this comes with experience.
As far as I am concerned, Al Pacino is a vibrant and gifted actor who can rise to any
type of role,” he adds.
Though he has not starred in any Hollywood films so far, the actor turned down roles from the industry what he described as unsuitable for his character. “I am not averse to the idea of acting in the Hollywood but I want to do central roles and
nothing short of it,” he explained.
“The Bollywood is often called the copycat industry but this is totally unfair. We have to realize that the Hollywood has also been copying our films and if copying is done with a touch of sophistication then I think no one should have a problem.”
Favourite
Satte Pe Satta, Naseeb, Bhagam Bhag, Qurbani, Raja Babu, Meri Awaz Suno are some of the films that top his favorite list.
Sharing his experience involving his Kuwaiti fans, the actor said: “I was touched
by the warmth and affection the people of Kuwait has shown towards me. During my
shoots, Kuwaitis approached and told me that they have been regularly watching my
films. I consider this as a huge compliment and my biggest reward.”
The veteran actor says he has not directed nor produced any films so far but may flirt with the idea at some point of time.
Kapoor secured a diploma in acting from the Film Institute of India in Pune and the
institute has the distinction of producing some great actors and directors including:
Kiran Kumar, Vidu Vinod Chopra, David Dhawan, Raza Murad, Navin Nischal, Shabana Azmi among others.
Kapoor’s forthcoming films include:
Haste Haste, Bhatti and Chutti, Rafu Chakar, Tara Sitara, among others.
Kapoor, who has acted in several regional language films, says Bollywood is moving in
the right direction and is almost at par with Hollywood in terms of technique wise and that it is encouraging to see Indian films going global.
“Of late we have been seeing a lot of offbeat films which are low budget. This is necessary when you are experimenting and many such offbeat films have done well at
the box office. According to me, a good film is one which makes you feel good and you
cherish it for a long time be it a comedy or a horror film. In short, a good film will be etched in the memory of people for a long time,” he concluded.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/pdf08/may/26/page%2027.pdf
