Anil Kapoor recalls time when Bollywood showed him the door
MUMBAI: Veteran actor Anil Kapoor has disclosed that early in his showbiz career, Bollywood directors kept showing him the door. Recalled Anil, “There was a time when I was not getting work in Bollywood, so I turned to South Indian films. In 1980-81, I was offered a small role in the film Shakti, and I had no option but to take it up. Another reason I chose to do the role was that I would get to share screen space with Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan.”
On how humiliating the experience was, he added: “I just had two small scenes in the film. One at the beginning of the film, and the other at right at the end, when the audience has already started exiting the theatre. Obviously, most people may not even have seen that scene.”
Anil, 61, was last seen playing a suave baddie in Race 3, and he’s now preparing for the release of Fanney Khan, a musical in which he plays a father with unfulfilled dreams.
Salman Khan has lavished praised on him by saying, “The way he is doing one film after another, Anil has proved that he is the next Amitabh Bachchan. He even earns more than many youngsters!”
Doe Anil agree with the comparison? “An actor like Amitabh Bachchan is born once in a lifetime. Anil Kapoor trying to fill his shoes would be an impossible dream. Just having my name taken alongside his is a big thing for me. I am under no illusions,” Anil said, adding, “Not many people know that in the initial stage of my career, when I did Mashaal, people compared my work with that of Amitabh Bachchan. Now, history is repeating itself, and my work is being compared with his again. It does make me happy, but I am aware of the facts, so I won’t allow misunderstandings to get to me.”