Arjun Kapoor tackles fear in ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’

The seven weeks spent in Argentina filming the TV stunt show Khatron Ke Khiladi: Kabhi Keeda Kabhi Peeda has done a world of good for Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor. Nothing like having a scorpion crawl up your hands, eating a ton of insect-ridden strawberries or dangling off a helicopter to put your life into perspective.

“I was happy to be in a world that I have never experienced before … I enjoyed being alienated, away from India and not to interact with many people other than the contestants of Khatron Ke Khiladi,” said Kapoor in an interview with tabloid!.

It was close to midnight, but the son of legendary filmmaker Boney Kapoor showed no signs of slowing down as he sat down for interviews from journalists from India and overseas.

The “pleasant disconnect” has made the usually reserved actor ebullient. At the launch of his TV show in Mumbai on Wednesday evening, he was seen rapping to the title song and joking around with the contestants.

“The truth is I have always wanted to go to Argentina, but it is one of those destinations that remain in a fantasy category. Who will travel on air for 30 hours? Odds were slim, especially in my profession because it’s three days gone if you count the jet lag as well … but imagine, the channel paid for it,” said Kapoor, who also enjoyed the occasional succulent steak for dinner (a meat which is banned in India). While he comes across as a lot more charming now, there’s no denying that he was never the poster boy for fitness. The Ishaqzaade star famously lost 50 kgs before his film debut. His struggle with weight loss has been well documented and Kapoor is aware that many may be sceptical about him hosting a show that relies on being fit physically.

“I am a realist … I don’t blame anybody if they question the choice of me as a host for such a show. Somehow, the combination of me and hosting Khatron …. doesn’t click impulsively. So, when things don’t fit seamlessly, many question it. People thought I can’t be an actor, but here I am. Now, I want to prove that I can be a fun and entertaining TV host too,” said Kapoor. And, he loves being the underdog.

After his notable debut in 2012 in the star-crossed romance Ishaqzaade about honour killings, Kapoor has acted in five films. While he courted success with films such as Gunday and 2 states, failure came in the form of Aurangzeb and Tevar last year. Kapoor went on a self-imposed three month break before starting work on R Balki’s Ki & Ka and hosting KKK.

“Even if Tevar had done well, I would have taken that break. My absence often gets misconstrued that since that film didn’t do well, I chose to hide at home. Think about it: I had done six films in three years and I was exhausted,” said Kapoor. He belongs to the new breed of actors in Bollywood who doesn’t shy away from showing weakness. Even his approach to hosting is friendly. Even though he was the one instructing contestants on wild and disgusting feats such as dunking yourself in a tub of worms, Kapoor wanted to be their confidante.

“I take my work seriously, but I don’t take myself seriously. I wanted to be one of them … The idea was not to alienate them, but to make them feel comfortable. Sometimes, you get respect based on the human being that you are rather than your body of work.” He has succeeded. When tabloid! met up with the contestants of the show before the launch, the words ‘sweet’, ‘accessible’ and ‘jovial’ were the adjectives thrown around.

“Arjun’s one of us. This show tests your mental and physical strengths in an unimaginable way. So having a friendly host like Arjun makes it infinitely better. Anybody older, we would have thought of them as our mentor, but Arjun was our friend,” said Sana Saeed, the actress from the hit Student Of The Year. At the launch, the camaraderie among them was evident as Kapoor teased her about her black hot shorts and transparent black top.

But apart from fostering good ties with the contestants who were tasked with wild feats such as swimming with crocodiles and lying on a bed of snakes, Kapoor’s decision to make a TV debut was a purely selfish one.

“One per cent of our population watches films by stepping out to the cinemas. But people in India watch television everyday … With good work, I can build my equity. If I am liked, I may even draw them out of their homes to see my films. This is an attempt to create a better connect with my audience,” said Kapoor. He’s under no illusion that everybody has seen his body of work.

“There is a bit of roguish element attached to my personality after my roles in Gunday and Ishaqzaade. With Khatron Ke Khiladi, I want everyone to see my fun side. Apart from that, I am an entertainer today and formats to entertain don’t matter. Across the world, television and its power is underrated … This is a good way to push myself as a person than as an actor,” said Kapoor. His only regret is that he wasn’t able to do all the stunts that the contestants were given.

“In my first episode, you will see me hanging off a helicopter. It’s a mixture of bungee jumping and skydiving … The idea behind the show is how to tackle fear. The feat of overcoming fear is what makes you a winner here. Like they say, it’s easy to reach the top of a cliff, but the question is do you have the will power to jump off it? If time permitted, I would have tried all the stunts that the contestants were given. What’s not to love about them?”

Don’t Miss It

Khatron Ke Khiladi will launch on January 30 at 9pm, UAE, on Colors TV. The show will be aired every Saturday and Sunday.