Aditya Roy Kapur’s tryst with love and food

Actor talks to The Express Tribune about his upcoming film Daawat-e-Ishq and his experience of observing a fast

KARACHI:

“Suno...” “Kya?” “Kuch nahi... bas yun hi.” When Rahul Jaykar (Aditya Roy Kapur) called his beloved Aarohi Shirke (Shraddha Kapoor) only to say nothing in Mohit Suri’s Aashiqui 2 (2013), he struck a chord with those in pursuit of traditional romance. In a time where expression of love has been trivialised to words, Kapur, in his depiction of the tumultuous singer, makes saying nothing ‘sound’ romantic.

Now, he is all set to throw his fans a daawat to acquire a taste for his stint as a chef in Habib Faisal’s upcoming film Daawat-e-Ishq. In the film, Kapur plays the role of Tariq Haidar from Lucknow, who runs a “khandani restaurant” that his ancestors passed on to him. “I was looking for something different and that’s what my role in Daawat-e-Ishq is,” Kapur tells The Express Tribune. “It was a challenge to depict a character whose upbringing and lifestyle are completely different from mine, but it was so well-written that it gripped me,” he adds.

The actor shares that although his character Tariq hasn’t travelled much, he meets and appeals to individuals from around the world. “People from all classes and across the globe come to his restaurant. He’s a ‘worldwide’ kind of person. He’s flamboyant. He’s gregarious.”





Interestingly, Tariq’s appeal is reminiscent of the impact that Aashiqui 2 had on viewers. With its songs still playing in dhabas and coffee lounges, the film riveted the attention of both single-screen and multiplex audiences. “Aashiqui 2 was a rare film that I was lucky enough to be a part of,” says Kapur.

In his stint as the self-deprecating Rahul, he depicted the ultimate Aristotelian tragic hero. His frailties made him imperfect and misfortune befell him as a consequence of his own actions, leaving the audience pitiful yet peeved.

“I’m personally not a suicidal drunk. I’ve been in love and around people who are heavy drinkers. I’ve even spent time with people who have an alcohol-abuse problem and don’t know it yet. I’ve come across people who are the real Jekyll and Hyde,” he states. Sharing what made his role believable, he says, “As an actor, you subconsciously pick out things from people and experiences you encounter.”

But although Kapur was recognised for his performance in Aashiqui 2, it can be argued that the film did better because of its soundtrack than star power. As Kapur veers towards his second role as a lead actor in Daawat-e-Ishq, all eyes are on him to see whether he is a one-trick pony or has learnt the tricks of the trade.

From feeding his fear of hindering Aarohi’s success in Aashiqui 2 to wooing Gulrez (Parineeti Chopra) by feeding his restaurant’s finest to her in Daawat-e-Ishq, Kapur has become the quintessential Bollywood aashiq.



But he tries his hand at a different genre this time as he feels “it is essential for actors to pick characters that are not similar to preceding ones and keep bringing something new to the table to keep the audience engaged.”

Joining his Muslim friends, Kapur observed fast on the last day of Ramazan this year. Acknowledging that it’s tricky to make people perceive such an act as genuine and not a mere marketing gimmick, he shares he didn’t fast as a means of promoting Daawat-e-Ishq, in which he portrays a Muslim character. “I didn’t put much thought into it. A bunch of my friends are Muslim and I felt it would be interesting to give it a try,” he comments.

Speaking of his experience, he says, “Keeping the fast was tough as not only can you not eat but also not drink. My Muslim friends fast with their usual workload. Luckily, I didn’t have much work that day. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal I broke my fast with that evening.”

Although the trend is gradually changing, many Bollywood films promote a stereotypical image of the Muslim community in terms of their lifestyle, especially attire. With Daawat-e-Ishq centralising the lives of Muslim characters, one wonders if the film will attempt to change this.

Kapur believes that it is not stereotypes but a director’s creative vision that determines how characters are presented in a film. “Filmmakers envision their characters to be a certain way and create them based on their personal experiences. In Daawat-e-Ishq, Habib wanted his characters to look and feel a certain way and that’s simply it. Not all films aim at advocating a social message or changing mindsets,” he asserts.

“Having said that, the characters of Daawat-e-Ishq are such that they convey a strong message in how they stand for a progressive and forward-looking approach to life.” Whether Daawat-e-Ishq, which will be ‘served’ on September 19, is a recipe for success or disaster remains to be seen, but its fate largely hinges on Kapur’s performance.



Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2014.

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