The launch of a star son or an industry kid is a big moment. It’s not just the hype. Fans do want see their screen idol’s kids in films. Anil Kapoor’s son is making his debut this year with Mirzya. Nine years ago, his daughter Sonam Kapoor made her debut. Anil didn’t launch either of his kids. He trusted the future of his kids in the hands of directors Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. While Sonam’s debut film didn’t work, she is at the top of her game today. With Harsh’s film round the corner, Anil talks about his kids, their acting styles, commitment and the possibility of working with them in the future. Read on...

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Now that Harsh is going to make his debut, I have to ask: Were you more relaxed during Sonam’s debut or now? 

Neither. I think as a father, I was blessed that both the filmmakers who signed Sonam and Harsh are on top of their game. When Bhansali did Saawariya, he was the number one director and Rakeysh is also very respected, and a very big director, so that itself is success by itself.

You did not work with big directors when you started out.

No, I was not fortunate that way. They were not big directors. I started with bit roles but the first film with which I got recognition was Woh Saat Din with Bapu saab, he may not have been a big director... but if you see his talent he was one. Then I worked with Mani Ratnam in a Kannada film. Bapu and Mani Ratnam were big directors.

They were not that well-known then.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra are extremely talented filmmakers who understand the presentation, the performances and they know the craft. That itself is a big success. So 70% of the stress is not there at all. Now the stress is that at least they will be accepted as actors, which you know the battle is won. Now the journey has to be seen. Everybody has his own journey. Like Sonam had her own journey. Her first film didn’t do well. I used to always tell her it’s better that she got success later. Imagine becoming a big success and going downhill, that’s worse. And I kept on telling her, ‘The more painful your journey is, the  happier you will be.’ So I don’t know what Harsh’s journey is going to be. It might be a big success, it might now. How can I predict? I can’t. At least I am 100 per cent sure that they both were in great hands and they will be accepted as faces and as actors.

What about Harsh’s style of acting? Is he a perfectionist like you?

Harsh, I feel, is a few steps ahead of me where commitment is concerned. I don’t want to say that to him, because I want him to work even harder. He is contentious and extremely hard-working. I have never seen anybody prepare the way he has prepared and worked on this role. Basically, he is almost doing two roles in the film. He really has lost so much of weight for one part and  bulked up for the other part, not only did that but mastered skills of archery, horse riding, etc. I could never do that (mastering skills). He is not interested in parties, or in being seen around, not bothered about who is doing what, he is just interested in his work.

That’s very much like you...

No, he is a few steps ahead of me. At least I would go out and meet people and stay connected. He is too contentious, like...

Aamir Khan?

No, I won’t say that. Every generation has different people. I think he is... I don’t know how to place him genuinely, not because he is my son. But, I can’t place him.

Are you going to be involved with his career choices like you are with Sonam’s?

It’s too early to really say that. I’m always there for him and he is really sorted and quite practical. He is the kind of person, who, if he needs me, will come to me. He is not like ‘Nahi yaar, main baap se baat nahi karunga’. If he feels it is good for his film or role, he will have no issues. He is very sorted.

Are you offered films with Sonam all the time?

Surprisingly, I’m not.

Not a single film?

Not even a single film.

And if offered, would you be interested?

I think both of us will think about it 10 times.

You’d have to...

Because we are totally opposite people and it has to be something.... she has a very strong mind of her own.

What are your working styles like?

We are totally different as actors. She is more instinctive, more spontaneous and doesn’t believe too much in retakes. I have my own way. I’m trying to learn from her. I’ve always felt and said that she is very modern and that her interpretation of characters is very real, subtle and minimal, which sometimes people misunderstand. They are so used to loud overacting and melodrama. Earlier, when I said this, the audiences felt that it was a father talking. Today, they realise it to be true. That doesn’t mean that everything has to be subtle in life,  there are certain melodramatic films also that one needs to do. I even told Sonam, ‘Now is the time for you to do a very loud film, so that you are stamped in a different dialect — the North Indian dialect’, I told her, ‘You have to do something like that toh log bolenge bahot zabardast actress hai yaar, kuch dialect bhi kar liya, and jor-jor se acting bhi kar rahi hai.