Self-awareness is not Bollywood's strongest suit. So, Arjun Kapoor comes as a breath of fresh air. Born in the Other Kapoor family, his father's departure from his mother's life to marry the late actor Sridevi was tough on him. His obesity made him an easy target of bullying. Kapoor will only diplomatically say that he's been to hell and back. Widely appreciated for his debut in Ishaqzaade (2012), and his subsequent films Aurangzeb (2013) and Finding Fanny (2014), he says sometimes it takes a director like Dibakar Banerjee, with whom he made Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021), to make you submit to the character and underline the fact that you take your craft seriously. "I was dying to get out of my comfort zone. You get caught up in being considered a mainstream hero so you don't get the right offers. I grabbed it," he says. Ten years in Bollywood requires a lot of staying power. That comes from the audience, he says. "Ishaqzaade was me asking a question of the audience. I want to connect with all sorts of audiences. In 10 years, I have resonated with every section at some point or the other," he says. And somewhere he has connected with the kind of man we have now. He agrees: "Somewhere the personal and professional have intertwined. I am not a macho man, I am not the one to save the damsel in distress. Pinky in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar is fighting toxic masculinity or Kabir in Ki & Ka (2016) wants to be like his mother, or Krish in 2 States (2014) is standing up for his mother. I'm not lost but I don't mind being found," he says. His gift of the gab has helped, though he says he was a reluctant talker when he started in the profession. "I wanted to be reclusive. Then I got told the media thought I was brash, I had to free my mind. I just opened that side of me. My mother [the late TV producer Mona Shourie] taught me well, my father [producer Boney Kapoor] is quite a talker," he says. The opportunity to be part of a possible blockbuster franchise with Ek Villain Returns, where he had to work on his body to look good enough facing off John Abraham, made him work long hours and consistently over a period of time. Coming up next is Kuttey, directed by Aasmaan V Bhardwaj, Vishal's son, where he is part of a dream ensemble that includes Tabu and Konkona Sen Sharma, and The Ladykiller with Ajay Bahl. His easy relationship with his older girlfriend Malaika Arora makes him a tabloid favourite but also the subject of social media criticism. "You have to be thick-skinned in this profession," he says. "People will say nasty things about you all the time. You just have to take it in your stride."

Sohum Shah

﻿Maisam Ali’s Ladakh

Arjun’s Ace

Maisam Ali’s Ladakh