When you bet on one horse you know returns would be manifold – Anil Kapoor

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart… Over 30 years in the industry, 100 releases and countless hits later, Anil Kapoor is continuing to be consistent – critically as well as commercially – what with two of year's biggest grossers so far featuring him. If he got the comic quotient up in a racy thriller Race 2, he played the chief protagonist against the antagonist John Abraham in Shootout At Wadala. Not content with what he has achieved so far and deciding to bring on a new innings for himself with T.V. Series '24', Anil Kapoor is eyeing an eventful year ahead where he would be in the living room of audience for a good number of evenings in the second half of the year.

For someone like you who is so selective about picking and choosing films, it must be heartening to see that at least one of them turns out to be a notable films of the year, right?
(Ponders over) Well, from Woh Saat Din till now, there is something or the other that has kept happening in my career. There has not been even a single year when audience may have felt that I am not around. Of course sau se upar filmein karin hai, toh phir kuch zyaada chali aur kuch kam chali. Par jo kam bhi chali, usme se bhi kayi aisi nikal aayi jinki aaj tak baat hoti hai. Like Lamhe, Parinda or 1942 – A Love Story may not have been that hot on their release but today these films are still spoken about.

Guess it is your consistency as well as versatility coming into play here? After growing up on your films, I have never seen you getting typecast.
See, till a couple of years back I was doing a lot of comedies. There were films like Welcome, Race, No Entry and more, all of which were successes. This is when Sanjay Gupta came to me with a film. I had worked with him in a gritty thriller Musafir before and knew that it was just the right time for me to work with him and also make a shift from the genres I was working on. I was committed to Shootout At Wadala from the very inception when just the genesis was in place. After being in the industry for over 30 years, I have an instinct that a filmmaker will make something fantastic. It is sixth sense.

And then you made a statement in the film which was perhaps pretty much pun intended – 'Tum Ho, Toh Hum Hai'.
(Laughs) Arrey, aisa kuch nahi tha. I am aware of the fact that this scene that you are talking about has been universally acclaimed. (Sanjay) Gupta just came to me in the morning and said that you have to speak these lines. It wasn't even there in the script to begin with.

What definitely seems to be in the script though is the fact that two/three hero films and big multistarrers are in love with you.
Well, when Shootout At Wadala started, it was big to begin with me and John together. It only became bigger by the time of release and the hype was fantastic. Thankfully I have had good relationships with people back then in the 80s, 90s and then today's time as well. I get along well with today's generation stars as well and that helps us come together for films.

While many heroes from the generations gone by are nowhere in the map today, a select few have either clung on to solo hero films or lost out on some good opportunities. What is it that keeps you going?
I have a simple strategy. When I do a Race or a Race 2, I know that there are other younger actors like Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, John Abraham and others. If I step into these films, it makes a difference because people who walk into a film for them would see me there as well and after that it is on me to I attract their attention. I have my own fan following and they have their own. When we come together, it is bound to get multiplied. Those from current generation who may not be familiar with my work may say that 'Arrey yaar, he is a good actor'. It's a win-win situation. There is also a huge difference that is made to a film's opening when actors come together. Otherwise you know that for some out there, when their other solo films release tab kya hota hai!

You seem to be secure in your zone though.
Exactly, mujhe koyi insecurity nahi hai. Otherwise sometimes actors tend to do more films out of insecurity. Kabhi kabhi woh darr ki wajah se kar lete hain ki agar meri ek picture nahi chali toh mujhe aage kaam nahi milega. Main aisa nahi sochta. My philosophy is simple – When you work in one or two films then it is similar to the fact that aap apne chune hue ghode par paisa lagaa rahe ho. You know ki agar woh jeetega to bees guna paisa bhi waapas aayenge!

Article written by staff at Bollywood Hungama. Read more