Rishi Kapoor may have played the love-struck sweet-talking young hero for more than 30 years of his 43-year-long career in the Indian film industry but he’s not one to mince his words. The veteran Bollywood actor has taken his histrionics to Twitter now — and he’s totally unapologetic about it.
“Yes, I like voicing my opinion and I think [social media] is a very democratic way of saying things,” he told tabloid!. “I don’t care whether it [has any effect]. I don’t want to offend anyone. If I have done or do so, I’m very sorry, because that’s not my intention”.
Well Mr Kapoor, it may not be your intention but some people seem to have been affected. On Tuesday, after a series of tweets by him questioning the renaming of roads, landmarks and other projects in India — especially after family members of the famed Nehru and Gandhi family — a bunch of workers from the Indian National Congress political party in Allahabad christened a sulabh shauchalya (public toilet) after the actor who won the National Film Award for Best Child Actor for his debut film Mera Naam Joker.
As expected, the unfazed actor gave a comeback that the political workers were least expecting. He said he was “thrilled” for being “of some use to someone”.
“I take pride in the fact that the Sulabh Shauchalaya is named after me because it is the Prime Minister’s [Narendra Modi’s] pet project right now… It really doesn’t matter to me what they do. They seem to have not understood what I implied by my tweets… I am not saying anything wrong or disrespectful of Gandhi or Nehru or their family members. What I am saying is of national importance; people should realise the folly of naming everything after two families,” Kapoor has been reported as saying.
“You take it all with a pinch of salt,” he told tabloid!. “[Social media] is a platform where you voice what you feel and it should be taken in that spirit… I just do it off the cuff. I don’t manoeuvre. What will I achieve out of it all?”
At the same time, Kapoor said he has no real political ambitions, though he wouldn’t mind being part of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
“I would voice my opinion there as well,” he said. “I don’t think I want to be a very strong participant in the parliament but if I’m nominated for Rajya Sabha I’d most willingly do it”.
Excerpts from the interview with Kapoor while he was in Dubai last month for the Prithvi@Dubai theatre festival.
You’ve had a good start…
How long have you been in Dubai?
Umm, since 1978. I grew up here…
I’ve been coming since 1977 — so, I beat you. I’ve been coming to Dubai for the longest time but never in the summer. It gets as bad as Mumbai and the humidity kills me. I’m here at least two to three times a year, now also for movies. But in our time we didn’t have such promotional events. So those days we only came for holidays and to meet friends.
Speaking of movies, you’ve had a good start to the year with ‘Kapoor & Sons’…
Brilliant start. I’m very happy the way Kapoor & Sons has been received especially because Mr Karan Johar put a lot of faith in me. He brought in make-up maestro Mr [Greg] Cannom, spending crores of rupees — mind you it wasn’t a big-budget film — just for make up for Rishi Kapoor, only because I said to him that I desired to have the kind of old age make-up that Brad Pitt had in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Yes, spending five odd hours in the chair every day and then an hour to remove it [was difficult]. But with an array of such great actors with me, so receptive and friendly with each other, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. And thankfully it paid off.
With 43 years in the industry since ‘Bobby’ — 46, counting your first film ‘Mera Naam Joker’ — one can easily divide your film career in four phases: the young boy in ‘Mera Naam Joker’; the young lover boy; the older lover boy who romanced actresses at least two decades younger than him; and currently, as a senior actor. Which do you think was the best phase?
Earlier I just sang and danced, and romanced. I have introduced 23 new girls, you know — which is a world record of sorts in itself. I’m forgetting how many girls have come in the second phase of my career, even my senior phase. Alia Bhatt… (thinking)… I’ve lost track now. I was only singing songs celebrating the woman, went to Switzerland, wore sweaters. I could do something better but no one gave me an opportunity.
But as an actor I’m getting actual work now. However, people don’t write much parts for actors of our age. We are hoping that with the success of certain films that required, let’s say senior — not ageing — actors, we expect writers to write more parts for us.
See, for an actor like me to do a Rauf Lala in Agneepath or Dadu in Kapoor & Sons or Romy Rolly in Luck By Chance is a challenge. And people have received it well. So, I think the current one is my best phase.
How would you like to be remembered? Have you achieved everything you wanted to or is there still something that you really want to do?
I’ve been receiving lifetime achievement awards for the last few years — and I’ve received nearly all of them. But one lifetime is not enough to achieve everything you want to achieve. Do not mistake that receiving these awards means I don’t need to achieve anything else anymore. I need more adulation, I need more work and I will always be a student of cinema. I’m always on the journey. How can you give me a lifetime achievement award? I think I haven’t achieved anything as yet — I’ve just started.
Any regrets, then?
I don’t have any regrets. All five fingers are not the same. There will be some turkeys, some films you’ll be remembered for, some you’ll get lots of brickbats for — it’s all part of every actor’s journey.
What can we expect next from Rishi Kapoor?
That even I don’t know. I’m a jobless actor right now. I have one film — Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi — which will [resume] shooting. I don’t know why we haven’t shot for it over a year. And I’m very happy to tell you I will share screen space with Paresh Rawal [in it]. I may be doing another couple of films but I won’t speak about them yet as I’m not sure. I can’t just do a father role without any effect. If it has to be a father role, then I’d like something as that in Patiala House or Do Dooni Chaar. I’m happy to be jobless than do any nonsense.
