Arjun Kapoor gives a sort of stay off vibe until you actually get a chance to know him. All of your doubts about him will melt away when he opens up and starts sharing his innermost insecurities. His eyes take a somber turn when he begins talking about his mother, they are a different hue when he talks about heroines and they sparkle softly when he talks of Anshula, his sister or his cousin, Sonam Kapoor.
He has weathered a number of emotional storms earlier and hasn’t let any of it get to him. In fact, this is why he is such a grounded actor and sorted human being today. He chooses his roles carefully while learning the ropes and testing the boundaries of his ability. He emerges as a better actor every time.
He says he didn’t really have to work too hard for Ki & Ka once he understood that there’s a homemaker in each man. It’s just that they shy away from it. He admitted to never having cleaned anything at home but he did manage to sweep pretty well for a scene in the movie.
What they looked for in this movie was his gentleness. Even though he has a daunting frame, they wanted the body language to be childlike and relaxed. They eyes needed to be soft. He even learned how to cook. He was comfortable in the kitchen. He could, chop, cut, clean, etc. He owned the kitchen. In fact, Arjun got so comfortable around the director R Balki that he was bestowed the nickname Johnson’s baby.
According to Arjun, a man needs to be supportive, communicative, and understanding. They need to be the support system their wife requires. Both partners need to respect each other and trust each other. But this takes time to build.
He admitted that it was easier to act opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan since he knew her since childhood. She is one of the sharpest people on the set he says. She does most shots in one-take. She doesn’t carry any of the baggage that is associated with success either. He says he has no idea how she managed to tolerate her. She isn’t on social media but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know about everything.
His time in the industry has taught him that it is his first ten films that help decide where he stands. The audience will either reject or accept him by then. He hopes he will be a part of the industry for a long time.
When asked about sacrifice, he says that the one thing he gave up for his career was his personal life. But the people close to him understand. They have accepted that he’s taking them for granted. It’s the profession which takes a toll both emotionally and mentally.
The worst phase of his life was when he was shooting for Ishaqzaade. This is when his mom had been diagnosed with cancer. It wasn’t relevant to his film though. He was detached from his personal life and followed the director’s vision.
At times when he is feeling low, he keeps it to himself. Even though his friends complain to him all the time, he doesn’t share his feelings with others. He doesn’t like to burden other people with his problems. That’s one of the reasons why his friends hate him. He isn’t an introvert, but he keeps his life private.
It’s not hard for him because he learned to deal with his problems on his own from an early age. He didn’t need anyone’s support before he was an actor. He does realize that sharing helps but he doesn’t do it too often.
He also says that when you choose the life of an actor, you need to be prepared for people to follow you all around. You can’t expect people to not want to take selfies with you or ask for autographs. But at the same point of time, as an actor, there are times when you wish you could get a small break. Even if it were for ten minutes.
