This story is from October 22, 2016

Kunal Kapoor: I admire Alia Bhatt for her risky choices

Says Kunal Kapoor, one of the four men Alia dates in reel life.
Kunal Kapoor: I admire Alia Bhatt for her risky choices
(This story originally appeared in on Oct 22, 2016)
Kunal Kapoor plays a producer in Gauri Shinde's upcoming slice-of-life film, Dear Zindagi, one of the four men Alia Bhatt dates in the film. After a decade in the industry the 38-year-old actor is familiar with a producer's highs and lows and was comfortable in his role.
'I didn't have to prep up much because it's a world I'm familiar with. What I like most about Alia is that she isn't interested in the other trappings of being an actress, she only wants to get the character right.
She's just started off and I admire her for her risky choices. A lot of people in her place would have chosen safer films,' he points out.

Kunal Kapoor is also the voice of Ram in an animation film, Mahayoddha Rama.
Dubbing for an animation film is a first for the actor who admits it wasn't easy. 'While shooting for a film you have your co-actors around, so during dubbing you have a visual reference. But this time it was just me alone in a studio and that was a real challenge. For one of the scenes I requested the director, Rohit Vaid, if he could get me an actor because usually acting is about reacting. He obliged and with an actor speaking for another character, it was easier to respond,' Kunal explains.

What makes the film important to the 39-year-old actor is his personal memories associated with the Ramayana. 'My mother was very religious, so we grew up reading the Ramayana. I think most of us remember Sundays in front of the TV when Ramanand Sagarji's Ramayana used to air,' he recalls, adding that during Diwali the residents of his society would put up a skit based on the epic saga. 'I made the scrawniest Hanuman.'
Another ace he has up his sleeve is the action-packed Hindi, English, Malayalam, trilingual, Veeram, which has him playing an anti-hero. 'It's my first period film and my character is a desi Macbeth who goes from being a honourable soldier to a tyrant. I had to build a lot of muscle and maintain it throughout the shoot. We would shoot 17-18 hours a day so finding the time to work out was tough. I also had to learn Kalaripayattu,' he says of his emotional journey, having enjoyed the transition from good guy to bad man.

Kunal Kapoor takes up formula racing


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