This year is going to be a little too tied up for Anil Kapoor has he has a lot on his plate, unlike previous years. With four films lined up, Fanne Khan, Race 3, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga and Total Dhamaal, the Lakhan of Bollywood is sure very busy.
But while working his arduous way up, Anil Kapoor shall be lucky enough to share screen space with leading ladies Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Madhuri Dixit Nene after Lajja and Juhi Chawla after Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate. Race 3 on the other hand brings him back into the Race franchise.
Unable to compete the excitement, during an interview with DNA he said, “I am very happy that all of them agreed to do the films. I can’t see Fanne Khan happening without Aishwarya. I have done Taal and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai with her earlier. Both were successful and appreciated. In Fanne Khan, she is not opposite me, but she is the pillar of the film."
While talking about Madhuri he went on to say, “Madhuri and I are chhapa and kaata in Total Dhamaal— two sides of the same coin! Madhuri alone will not be correct for the comedy and I alone will not be the same without her."
On the lines of working with Juhi, the actor said, “As far as Juhi is concerned, I feel I should have done more work with her. When I used to meet her, I would say ‘Juhi, main tere saath zyaada kaam nahin kar saka, mujhe teen-chaar aur films karni chahiye.’ It was so much fun working with her. I did a few films with her (Benaam Badshah and Loafer to name a few), but none of them became big hits. So, when she agreed to do Ek Ladki Ko Dekha, I got really excited, because her smile, voice and comic timing is very special. We have few scenes in the film, but hopefully after this I’ll act in more movies with her.”
“I am fortunate I got an opportunity to work with these beautiful girls, who have made a mark in their personal and professional lives. They carry themselves so beautifully that working with them is an honour. They will make these three films special by being in them," he added.
And how did he think about his children Sonam Kapoor's film Veere Di Wedding (VDW) produced by Rhea Kapoor and Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (BJS) featuring Harshvardhan Kapoor?
“It was wonderful. This month has been quite exciting. Earlier in May, there was Sonam’s wedding and June 1 saw both Bhavesh Joshi Superhero and Veere Di Wedding releasing on the same day. Both are different films. What I am happy about is that both have a made a mark in a different way. One (VDW) has got critical and commercial success, while the other (BJS) has got critical acclaim but not the box office numbers. The most important thing is people have appreciated Harshvardhan’s work. He has an entire lifetime left to do more films and achieve success,” he replied.
But Harshvardhan’s both films Mirzya and Bhavesh Joshi Superhero have not been commercially successful.
What advise does Anil have for him?
“I also did exactly what he is doing. I did Vamsa Vruksham (Telugu) first (1980) and Mani Ratnam’s Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983). I also did MS Sathyu’s Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya (1981). Woh Saat Din came much later. Similarly, Sonam started with Saawariya and then did Delhi 6. She was appreciated in them, but they did not get box office numbers. The scary part is when you are not being appreciated and it doesn’t do well commercially, either. That gets tricky. However, if people say 'aapne zabardast kaam kiya', but the movie doesn’t fare well, it’s not in your hands. You’ve to do your work with conviction. So, whatever Harshvardhan does next will hopefully get the numbers. We, Sonam and I— are all improving ourselves as actors and doing better films. It’s an ocean, there is room for improvement for all of us, why only newcomers?”
Anil will next be seen in ‘Race 3’ that hits the theatres on June 15.
