SANJAY ALWAYS UP FOR A CHALLENGE
Costarring with niece Sonam, actor Sanjay Kapoor says it is exciting, but family wasn’t a factor in his casting
Considering he has been in the entertainment industry for 23 years, he hasn’t done many films, but Sanjay Kapoor remains highly enthusiastic about every project that comes his way, and is eager to challenge himself at each step.
After a brief appearance in the web film Lust Series, Sanjay will now be seen in The Zoya Factor, directed by Abhishek Sharma. Interestingly, Sanjay plays father to his real-life niece, Sonam K Ahuja in the film, and he says, “Of course, it’s super exciting to work with Sonam. She’s family, and when you work with someone who’s from the same family, it’s better. It’s great fun, yaar,” he beams, talking about the kind of work relationship the two share.
However, Sanjay plays down any connection between his family link with Sonam and his casting. “The only thing that works right now is the chemistry between us. As an actor, you have to work on your character. Abhishek didn’t sign me because I was Sonam’s uncle. [He did so] because he saw the actor in me, and felt that I’d suit the character,” he says.
Talking about his few and far between performances after making his Bollywood debut with the 1995 film Prem, Sanjay says that he is nevertheless proud of having a done a number of roles that challenged him as an actor. “In the year 2000, it was still a very hero-oriented industry, and everyone kept doing the same thing. When Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche (2002) came, they wanted to cast me to as the hero, but I looked at the role of the negative character in it, and said that I wanted to do that [role],” Sanjay says. “I cut my hair, prepared for the role, and did it. I’ve always had that idea and I’ve always been willing to challenge myself as an actor,” says the 52-year-old.
His affinity for negative roles resurfaced with the 2003 action film Qayamat: City Under Threat. “That role was completely different from what I had done in the past,” he says. “But I wouldn’t lie to myself. I haven’t done 200 films, so
I won’t say that I am very choosy or whatever. I have to choose [from] what I get. But yes, if I get a chance to experiment with whatever roles I get, then I won’t shy away from that,” he
adds.