Anil Kapoor on Thar: ‘It is liberating to work for a film on OTT’

Thar is a crime thriller set in the hinterland. Anil Kapoor will be seen playing the role of a cop and he will be reuniting with his son, Harshvardhan Kapoor , after we saw the two of them together on AK Vs AK. The trailer for Thar was dropped this week and Firstpost caught up with Anil Kapoor for an exclusive interview where he talks about his journey in the entertainment industry and how there is a positive change of scene on the sets of films as we get to see many women behind cameras.  He feels that the OTT boom has brought about a lot of positive change in the industry in terms of content and it is much more organized than it used to be in the past. Excerpts:

Tell us a little about Thar and your experience of working on this film.

It is a thriller. The story revolves around an outsider who comes to this small town in the deserts. The film is very character-based. Slowly, you come to know all the deeper layers of the different characters. It is like a slow burn. There is a feel of a western film because it is an outsider who comes inside a town like those old western films. But again, it is still very rooted to our Indian surroundings. The storytelling is unique and when I read the script for the first time, I felt I am entering into an unsure territory. The whole set was a new zone for me. It was filled with new and young people. I just wanted to get into this world and understand how they work on every scene and the pitching and performances and the detailing and how they put their whole heart and soul into creating something that is different.

Since the team is very new, the energy is very different. And you also want to know their thought process. The newer the team, the methods are also different. So, it was a learning experience for me. You want to know how they are thinking. Sometimes it so happens that the director comes to me and says, “Sir it is becoming too filmy. It needs to look realistic (laughs).” It is so much fun working with young minds and understanding their new ideas.

You have been entertaining us for the past forty-plus years, but how do you manage to keep your energy and enthusiasm alive?

I love what I do so there is no pressure on me. If you love something that you do, you will automatically see it in your work and your performance will be good. I look forward to going on the set and listening to scripts. I look forward to reading good scripts and I appreciate and enjoy the good work of other people. I love to learn and listen and I thoroughly enjoy the whole process of filmmaking. Everything for me is a learning process: the ups and downs, the heartbreaks, the scene not coming together, not cutting well, not being written well. There are times you feel that you won’t be able to do a certain scene, then ultimately you get the rhythm and you do it. So, there are uncertainties and it is there in all professions. But if you love something that you do, then automatically you can see it in your performance. The whole journey is so wonderful and exciting, that I look forward to performing every day.

Do you think the actors are going through a brilliant time because of the digital platform?

The digital platform has opened avenues for everybody. Every film or show is a new idea. You can afford to be a little more careless and pursue whatever role you wish to.  The best thing is you can just let your creative juices flow. OTT gives you the freedom to do great work without any pressure. And most important if your film is released on an OTT platform, there is no pressure from the box office. You can afford to be careless sometimes and afford to take risks. It is very liberating to work and do a film for a studio like Netflix.

It is a great time for all actors, content creators, and the audience too. There is so much for the audience to consume. Sometimes the choices are so much for the audience, they don’t know what to watch. I feel it is like a revolution that is taking place and I am lucky that I am part of this revolution.

Working with your son, Harshvardhan Kapoor on the same film, what is the experience like?

I have worked with him in AK vs AK, and we have got a lot of love and I enjoyed it a lot. Harshvardhan got much more appreciation than what he expected and I expected. The film is still receiving so much love and people are still watching it. I had filmmakers coming to me to sign me after AK vs AK’ s release.

I have already worked with my son in the same film, but when you work as an actor, you are playing different characters. You just finish your acting and go to your room and rest. Again, in the morning when you come to the sets and change your costume, you are in the character that you are playing.

You had once mentioned that the filmmakers of yesteryears used to say that you are a great actor, but you don’t have the looks to be a star. What is your take on that?

Yes, they did say that but they said, I am a ‘good actor’ not a ‘great actor’ But I am glad that you think that way (laughs). I don’t know, but really now things have changed. Now people’s attitude towards looks has also changed in a positive way. Viewers now look at actors, not stars. They want actors to look realistic. But I was happy then and I am happy now.

What is it that you do to remain fit?

I love feeling good about myself. So, for that, I need to exercise which I am very regular about. I want to remain fit and I strongly believe if I feel good about myself, I can do my job well. So, ultimately the main goal is to enjoy what I am doing and that can happen only if I am physically and mentally fit. And most importantly, I remain fit for my family and friends. I am excited to talk to you also at this moment and I am enjoying every answer I am giving you because I am fit!

You are in the entertainment industry for a long time, what is the positive transformation that you have seen?

I think it is much more organized and what is the biggest change is that there are so many women who are there on the sets. Thar’ is an action film and there is violence in it. There are horses and bikes in the film and there was a young girl on the sets of ‘Thar’ who just got married and she was behind the camera and doing most of the shots. If there are a hundred people in a set, we at least have fifty of them who are women. The whole Netflix team is filled with girls and that’s a positive change. And because of the OTT boom, stories can travel to so many countries.

Thar will be releasing on Netflix on May 6

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