A Conversation with Tusshar Kapoor

“I am not someone who oozes sex appeal from every orifice, but I am sexy in my own way”

Q Success, fame and money—you have it all. Any plans to settle down?

A You can never have too much of a good thing—you are never too thin, too rich or too famous! I’m not satisfied with what I have done so far, I have so much more to achieve. I have made a groove for myself in the film industry, but I still have to be a part of that big solo hit and many more successful films like Golmaal Returns, Khakee and Shootout at Lokhandwala, where my work was appreciated by the audiences. I’m not in a relationship right now and I’m not the kind who will consent to an arranged marriage. I want to come to the phase of marriage naturally and only when I have found the right person.

Q Your price to act in a film is in the vicinity of Rs 1.75 crore in times of recession. How many films do you get offered on an average?

A On an average, I meet about 20 people in a month and if I count all the people I do not meet, then it’s about 50. Prior to the recession, I was making Rs 2.5 crore per film but, of course, now it’s under the Rs 2 crore mark.

Q Does it rankle you that you are not as successful a star as your father Jeetendra was in his heyday?

A My father has a body of work spanning 35 years, whereas I’ve just been around for the last eight years. Dad peaked in the late 1960s and 1970s with his blockbuster hits and I cannot compare myself to him just yet as far as the success aspect is concerned. There is a huge gap between him and me and I hope I will eventually reach his level.

Q You have been very aggressive with the media on your personal life of late. How come?

A Whatever has come out in print recently about me has been totally blown out of context by the media. I was speaking in the context of my character in my new film Life Partner, which went into print as my personal views on marriage and sexuality, which was very unfortunate. I am a very conservative guy and I am not prone to such outbursts in public.

Q In a world obsessed with external beauty, would you call yourself sexy?

A It is hard for me to be objective about myself in that light. Sure, I am not someone who oozes sex appeal from every orifice, but I am sexy in my own way. Right now, after all the years I have worked on it, I am very happy with my body.