Parallel roles not popular with male actors: Anil

Actor stresses need of taking risks in career

In an interview with Times of India, Anil Kapoor reflected on the dynamism of his career and his drive as an actor. Looking back on his out-of-the-box film AK vs AK, the Indian actor touched upon the scepticism of those around him regarding the role, citing that his peers were shocked by his choice to take it on.

The Netflix film is a meta narrative that strikes a deliberate clash between Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap's real lives, and a world influenced by fiction. "Sandeep Reddy Vanga was taken aback by my decision because perhaps he thought the film could kill my stardom, but there were those who loved it. Danny Boyle sent me a long message appreciating the film," Kapoor revealed.

He further stated that while, yes, monetary gain is important, it's not everything and advised not to chase it. According to him, good work will bring in good money. "Some leading men these days hesitate to do parallel leads," the 68-year-old actor observed, adding that with such a mindset, films like Sholay wouldn't have seen the light.

"How does it matter if someone gets four-five more dialogues? What matters is how good the filmmaker and script are. Would Oppenheimer happen if everyone wanted to play Cillian Murphy's role? The film had Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon," he elaborated.

He went on to mention that despite having the career of a veteran, he acted in Danny Boyle's directorial Slumdog Millionaire because it granted him the opportunity to take on something new. "It was a grey character, plus I got to work with Danny," he said.

Kapoor also believes that his early-career projects weren't necessarily "brave or experimental". He admitted to following his instincts over trends, which is why he took up Judaai even though other contenders for the role found the character "weak". It was a challenge worth taking for him, and it was up to him to make his presence felt.

"I always thought the filmmakers have taken the risk by casting me, so I need to give it my best shot," he said.