Exclusive! ‘Families didn’t really go to see Race and Race 2’: Anil Kapoor

Anil Kapoor is a joy to talk to. His exuberance is infectious. Looking dapper in a tee and jeans, the ageless actor has been doing media interactions since noon at Mehboob Studio and even though I’m one of the last journos to meet him at around 7 pm, he is as energetic and eager to talk about films and more. At one point, the PR person interrupts to signal that my time is over, but Anil will have none of it. “You can’t be so cut and dry, life is about emotions,” he chides the spokesperson and continues his conversation with me. So, over to the evergreen and ‘youngest’ — he personifies the adage ‘age is just a number’ — actor of Race 3 toplined by Salman Khan.

You are the only star to be a part of all the three instalments of Race. Was it new for you each time? 

There have been gaps between all the three parts, so obviously it becomes fresh every time. But this has been the most exciting one. There was something which was very positive about it in terms of the journey and the actors. We shot the film in six months — kab shuru hui, kab khatam hui pata hi nahin chala! Everything went like clockwork. Working with Salman (they have done No Entry together) and Jacqueline (Fernandez) again as well as Remo (D’souza, director), Bobby (Deol), Daisy (Shah), Saqib (Saleem) and Freddy (Daruwala) for the first time was wonderful. We don’t know the film’s fate at the box office. Nobody can predict it, but the journey has been fantastic.

Both Race and Race 2 were thrillers, which were about mind games, but Race 3 is being promoted as an action entertainer...

(Cuts in) You go according to what the script demands. Here, the scale is much bigger. When you have Salman in a film, the scale automatically goes up. His movies can afford to do that. We have tried to make an entertaining flick. This is made for a larger audience. Families and kids didn’t really go to see the first two films. They were more for a certain section of the audience. That’s why though they did well, their business was not as big as blockbusters.
Salman has a fan base, and you have to be careful with that. You can’t take it lightly. It’s an action and musical bonanza as well as an Eid release, so don’t intellectualise it. Race 3 still has its twists and turns, but they are more relatable to the family audience.

Even your role is different from the earlier films...

Yes, it has completely changed. In the first two instalments, there was a funny side to my character. I was an investigative cop. The humour was underlined — he loved eating fruits! In this, I am the head of a family. He has many sides to him, but he is not funny. In fact, he is more dramatic than the first two films.

After Race 3, which movie do you start next?

Right now, my focus is on promoting Race 3. I have a day-and-a-half shoot left for Fanne Khan, which needed me in a different look. Then I start promoting that movie. Once that is done, I’ll shoot for the climax scene of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, the release date of which is already announced. After that, I shoot five-six days for Total Dhamaal. This year I have four releases, so it’s quite busy.

How was it working with your daughter Sonam K Ahuja in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga?

It’s like two professionals working. Sonam is an established actress. People respect her work and have loved her acting. They have appreciated her in Neerja and loved her in Raanjhanaa as well as Veere Di Wedding. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha... has a nice script and is helmed by a woman, Shelly (Chopra Dhar), so there is a comfort level. It’s fun to shoot with Sonam.

You are reuniting with three of your past heroines — Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Juhi Chawla this year. How has the experience been?

I am very happy that all of them agreed to do the films. I can’t see Fanne Khan happening without Aishwarya. I have done Taal and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai with her earlier. Both were successful and appreciated. In Fanne Khan, she is not opposite me, but she is the pillar of the film. Madhuri and I are chhapa and kaata in Total Dhamaal — two sides of the same coin! Madhuri alone will not be correct for the comedy and I alone will not be the same without her. 

As far as Juhi is concerned, I feel I should have done more work with her. When I used to meet her, I would say ‘Juhi, main tere saath zyaada kaam nahin kar saka, mujhe teen-chaar aur films karni chahiye.’ It was so much fun working with her. I did a few films with her (Benaam Badshah and Loafer to name a few), but none of them became big hits. So, when she agreed to do Ek Ladki Ko Dekha..., I got really excited, because her smile, voice and comic timing is very special. We have few scenes in the film, but hopefully after this I’ll act in more movies with her.I am fortunate I got an opportunity to work with these beautiful girls, who have made a mark in their personal and professional lives. They carry themselves so beautifully that working with them is an honour. They will make these three films special by being in them.

In a rare instance, your son and daughter’s films clashed at the box office recently..

Yes, it was wonderful. This month has been quite exciting. Earlier in May, there was Sonam’s wedding and June 1 saw both Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (BJS) and Veere Di Wedding (VDW) releasing on the same day. Both are different films. What I am happy about is that both have a made a mark in a different way. One (VDW) has got critical and commercial success, while the other (BJS) has got critical acclaim but not the box office numbers. The most important thing is people have appreciated Harshvardhan’s work. He has an entire lifetime left to do more films and achieve success.

Are you advising him to do movies that are in the commercial space now? 

I also did exactly what he is doing. I did Vamsa Vruksham (Telugu) first (1980) and Mani Ratnam’s Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983). I also did MS Sathyu’s Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya (1981). Woh Saat Din came much later. Similarly, Sonam started with Saawariya and then did Delhi 6. She was appreciated in them, but they did not get box office numbers. The scary part is when you are not being appreciated and it doesn’t do well commercially, either. That gets tricky. However, if people say aapne zabardast kaam kiya, but the movie doesn’t fare well, it’s not in your hands. You’ve to do your work with conviction. So, whatever Harshvardhan does next will hopefully get the numbers. We, Sonam and I —  are all improving ourselves as actors and doing better films. It’s an ocean, there is room for improvement for all of us, why only newcomers?