I WAS NEVER DELUSIONAL ABOUT MYSELF, SAYS ANIL

Anil Kapoor says that owing to his insecurity as an actor, he realised the need to put in the hard yards early on in his career

After spending close to four decades in the industry, actor Anil Kapoor says he always strove for longevity as an actor and never wanted to become an instant star. The actor says he realised early on that he needs to work on his fitness to be able to maintain the stamina to play diverse roles.

“I believed in marathon. I was never in for a 100m dash — [to] be a big star in five-six years and fade away. I’ve been in this business for 38 years now. The reason is that I was consistent and committed, worked hard, and I was never delusional about myself. I worked with good directors. I listened more than I would talk. I worked towards my physicality because I need that strength and stamina to portray all the characters. In trying to maintain the energy to be in front of the camera, I started looking after myself,” he says.

The actor would constantly feel that he was “not good enough” and it was this insecurity that pushed him to work even harder. “Everybody felt I’m an actor but I don’t have the looks. There were Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Sunny Deol, Dharmendra, Mithun (Chakraborty) — all great looking guys. They felt he (Anil) acts well, but doesn’t have looks. And now, somehow, everything is changing,” says Kapoor.

The Race 3 actor believes in stretching one’s shelf life — something that he believes exists for artists as it does for athletes — but stresses that after a certain age, actors should re-evaluate themselves and play characters accordingly. “I can’t play a 20-year-old guy. You have to be sensible enough to do roles and you have to think of roles which will suit me when I’m 40. Life goes on. You have to reinvent and rethink yourself. And there are still so many other roles that I can still do.”

However, the actor feels that somewhere, looking the part has gained precedence over preparing better as actors. “Focusing too much on looks can stagnate you and a time will come where you’ll have nothing inside you left to give to the audience, the director, the writer and the role,” says Kapoor, who was last seen in Fanney Khan.

PHOTO: AMAL KS/HT Anil Kapoor believes looks have gained precedence over craft and preparation as an actor