ARJUN KAPOOR ON STEPPING INTO A FILM FRANCHISE AND WHY IT’S SO DIFFERENT THIS TIME

by ASJAD NAZIR

Salaam Namaste.

WHY IN-DEMAND ACTOR ARJUN KAPOOR WELCOMES HIS CHALLENGING ROLES.

IN-DEMAND actor Arjun Kapoor is doing back-to-back projects without a break, but

that doesn’t tire him out.

Someone clearly in love with the craft of acting and movie making, the hard-working star is

testing himself in diverse roles including this week’s big Bollywood release Namastey England.

The romantic comedy is producer-director Vipul Shah’s follow up to his hit 2007 film Namastey London, and has another take on a culturally-opposite couple falling for one another.

The film stars Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles and has been shot at

interesting locations including London.

It was in the middle of the UK schedule that Eastern Eye caught up with Arjun to talk about

the movie, his busy schedule and future plans.

You are taking on a lot of diverse projects, how are you selecting them?

It looks like I am taking on a lot, but I finished Dibakar Banerjee’s film (Sandeep Aur Pinky

Faraar) last year around November/December, but it’s not released yet.

My upcoming movie Namaste England will be released by the time the interview comes

out. India’s Most Wanted is a one-schedule film and then Panipat will take six to eight

months. So actually, it’s been planned in such a way that, I am finishing one film at a time and then moving ahead with another.

You are meticulously planning things.

I am planning my year because I know Panipat will be the equivalent of two films being

shot in terms of time I need to give to it. So I thought it’s better to get as many films done as possible before I start with Panipat. Actually, there was no plan, Asjad. Namaste England came to me when my other film Mubarakan was being released.

What about your next two films, Most Wanted and Panipat?

I’d been wanting to work with (Most Wanted’s director) Raj Kumar Gupta for a while and really liked what he narrated, and it fits into both our time schedules. So we went ahead. Ashutosh (Gowarikar) sir’s film (Panipat) was going to happen at the end of the year so I had a window of opportunity. So sometimes when you don’t plan, too many good things happen. I guess that has been the case. It has not been a conscious choice and touchwood, has fallen in that order.

You must be happy that you have been getting such varied projects and that is a compliment to you?

That is something which I’ve worked towards. If you see the trajectory I have followed, whether it is doing an Aurangzeb, Ishaqzaade, Gunday, or a Two States, Ki & Ka and Half Girlfriend, I have tried to do varied genres - action, comedy, family-friendly and romantic films. I have done a Finding Fanny in between. Add in a Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and now Namaste England, so it has been consciously done to make sure the audience doesn’t get bored of me. Also, directors can see me in different lights rather than just seeing me as a one-dimensional actor. Like you said, the films I am doing right now speak in that capacity, and in a way that makes it apparent that directors are willing to take a chance with me in various roles. I feel happy about that and want to fulfil what they expect of me.

How did you feel like jumping into an existing franchise with Namaste England?

You know, honestly, the way that Vipul sir has imagined, narrated and gone about it, I did not feel the pressure and he never let me feel it because it is an independent film, which deals with the same germ of an idea, but it’s a whole new story. They say with time things change, the more they change, the more they stay the same, so from Namastey London to Namastey England, Indians and the world have evolved. Yet, so many problems and situations remain the same. Namastey England just appealed to me on that basis. I looked at it like a franchise that so much has changed and so much hasn’t.

You go beyond the first one in terms of romance with this.

I found it invigorating that, in modern India you still have certain things that; without delving too much into the story, it’s more about romance and is not always about holding on. It is sometimes about letting go and not always about fighting; it’s about being understanding; it’s not always about passion; it’s also about the flow. It was exciting for me to do a film with Parineeti where the romance wasn’t typical.

What do you mean?

When you see the film you will see our chemistry is not defined by the norms of typical Hindi film romance, but it’s a couple who’s so comfortable with each other that you want them to be together. That is what I liked in the movie.

What more can you tell us about the story?

This story is very different from the first one and the biggest difference is that they get married. I loved the fact that most love stories end with a marriage, but this one begins with a couple who’s married. When I heard the story, I assumed they get married and live happily ever after, but this one sort of deals with there is not always a happily ever

after.

How is director Vipul Shah compared to others you have worked with?

When you see Namaste England you will realise he has not shot it like a romantic film, but like a proper commercial entertainer. It’s like an action film almost in its visualisation because we have amazing locations, scale, songs and dance. We have not left any stone unturned for the film, which is exactly or maybe more than what people would expect

from a franchise.

Does that put pressure on you as an actor when so much is spent on a movie?

No, I embrace it. I like it. Today the way content is developing and how much people are paying for tickets, you have to give some value for their money. Otherwise, I can watch a

film on Netflix, Amazon or wait for others to tell me the story. What makes a movie exciting is that when you see a trailer and think ‘wow, I have to see this on the big screen’. So how do you make it cinematic, how do you make it a big screen experience?

How do you do that?

It is by projecting the film larger than life in certain spaces. The emotion should be grounded, but the world should still feel a bit surreal. That is what makes it a big Hindi film. We have always embraced that for years, but there was a phase in between where we all started going too real. I think that took away the theatre-going experience. So I am happy that Namaste England is a proper cinematic film. You have to go to the cinemas to properly enjoy it - just buy a ticket and sit down with your family, a drink and popcorn. Namaste England will make you smile, laugh and cry. You will feel moved.

You have shot all over the world, but what was your favourite location?

It’s the first time that I’ve shot a movie in Amritsar and was really happy shooting there. I felt so calm when I went to the Golden Temple. The khara (steel bangle) that I’m wearing in the film, I got it from the temple and haven’t removed it since. I am not very religious, but I am spiritual in a way where I connect with things and the energy levels. I think Amritsar was unique. We shot in Patiala, Belgium, Paris and here in London.

What was the London schedule like?

I have done Mubarakan in London and loved it because of the winter as it suited our film. But shooting this time in the summer, I’ve truly fallen in love with London. So I’d say Amritsar and London have been my favourites.

How is the music in the film?

Vipul sir made me listen to three songs the day we had the first narration and I told him they were outstanding. He said, “I’ve been working on the music for the past year”. That shows how long he’s been involved in making sure the film comes together in a certain dynamic.

He’s not going through the motions because he has signed Parineeti and me. He had his music, locations, the world, visuals, palette, emotions and everything so clear. There are seven songs in the film.

Do you have a favourite song in the film?

I personally love the song that is the introduction of Parineeti and I. It’s a romantic dance

number. Mannan (Shah) has done a fantastic job with the music and Badhshah has done

an outstanding dance number, which we shot at a club in England.

When will you settle down and get married?

(Laughs). I still have time. I will be 33 when this interview comes out. I think somewhere I still think I am young and not ready to settle down yet. (Laughs). I am quoting my film when I say that. When I meet the right person, I will and won’t shy away from it.

I think we have had enough weddings in my family to last a couple of years. You might hear my name and wedding bells ringing in the next couple of years, but not right now.

• Namaste England is in cinemas now.