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ShareActor Anil Kapoor's latest film, the Danny Boyle-directed Slumdog Millionaire, has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture this week. Kapoor's turn as the smarmy gameshow host has got much international critical acclaim. The actor, who has seen many years in the film industry, talks to Labonita Ghosh about changing sensibilities in India and in Indian cinema
You're constantly reinventing yourself as an actor.
I started it with 1942: A Love Story and Lamhe. I wanted to focus on my acting, take risks, and do different things, but I didn't tom-tom it. I change my look for practically every film, but I don't announce it with a press conference. As for reinventing myself, I can do it because I am not afraid to fail. I've done non-starry films like My Wife's Murder.
Is that how you saw Slumdog?
Slumdog Millionaire is an exceptional film that happens once in a lifetime. A New York Times critic said it was like Obama -- it came out of nowhere, and took everyone by surprise. I'm very happy about the nomination. I've been dubbing for the Hindi version, so I'm in touch with the entire team, and we're all happy we've gotten this far. But we don't want to talk too much about it for fear of nixing it.
The film echoes, in some way, India's rich-poor divide. This problem is troubling us deeply now, especially after the recent Mumbai attacks...
The economic divide in India is really scary. And it's becoming wider everyday, which is alarming. In a way the recession was both a good and a bad thing. The rich, who were only getting richer, needed to be slowed down. In a very roundabout way, the recession was something of an equaliser. If you go to the villages, you'll see large parts of the country without water and electricity. By contrast, I see less of a divide in Mumbai. People may be poor, but nobody goes hungry in this city. As for the elite doing enough, I can only speak about the film fraternity. I know there is a depth (of feeling) here, but not enough intent to do something. Film people abroad are much more committed to causes, whether it's the environment or poverty. We don't do enough.
But that's not true of the younger generation. My daughter, Sonam, for instance, is very sensitive and committed about a lot of things. Perhaps it's because she's studied abroad where community service is built into the school curriculum. We should have something like that here. If kids can be brainwashed into become terrorists, why can't we brainwash them into becoming good and giving citizens?
How do you feel about material success, personally?
I have also not allowed money to corrupt me. Money is important, but it is not the be-all. I have shunned stardom several times, which has allowed me to focus on my work. I got things steadily, not overnight. In that sense, I've always been hungry. Even the first car I got, a Mercedes Benz, was a gift from a producer. I never believed in buying something like that myself. Moreover, I've never felt I was good enough; there is always someone better than me. I look at actors like Tom Hanks and am forced to raise the bar. But I've been very lucky with the solo hits and blockbusters I have given over almost 26 years in the industry.
Slumdog is made by a Briton based on a book written by an Indian with both Indian and foreign actors. A nod to globalisation?
I don't know about globalisation, but I do know one thing. After this film, there will be a lot of job opportunities for people in our industry here. First, I think a lot of films will now be shot here, and more local technicians will be hired. Everywhere Danny went, he constantly praised the sound engineers, the assistant directors and how they handled the crowds, the casting people and all the young actors. That will count for something. There will be opportunities for actors as well. There's a lot of respect for actors in Hollywood -- even if you do four scenes but do them well. Slumdog is Indian in content and soul, but the execution is international.
How was Boyle to work with?
His Trainspotting is edgy, fast-paced and completely out-of-the-box. I found Danny to be a very giving person, who was constantly encouraging everyone. He has a great instinct for what will work. We got along like a house on fire. Slumdog's one of those films where everything falls into place.
Did you find it very different working in a foreign film?
I was often asked that when I went abroad. But no, I didn't find it too different because our film industry has matured a lot and has gone from very chaotic, to much more professional today. For Gandhi My Father, the film I produced, we had a ready script, we had a storyboard in place with all improvisations worked and we finished shooing on schedule.
