He’s all for content-based films or commercial movies which have their “heart at the right place”. Newcomer Harshvardhan Kapoor says he is very creatively different from his father and veteran actor Anil Kapoor, and that his motive is to do cinema that lives beyond its box office presence.
Harshvardhan, who is making his acting debut with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s ambitious project “Mirzya“, says he doesn’t feel under pressure as far as creativity is concerned. But he can’t say the same of commercial pressure.
“I don’t feel any creative pressure. I think there will be commercial pressure. I think they (film fraternity) have unrealistic expectation in terms of box office, but, creatively I am very different (from my father).
“I know people who have seen the film have told me, ‘You are a completely opposite of your father’. I am actually completely opposite to my father. You will feel that in ‘Mirzya’,” Harshvardhan told IANS.
In “Mirzya”, which is Mehra’s take on the folklore of Mirza-Sahiba, Harshvardhan is paired with Saiyami Kher. Next after “Mirzya”, he will be seen in “Bhavesh Joshi”, a more urban tale.
The young and raring to go actor says he likes the commercial space, but is cautious.
“I have commercial taste of films also, but it needs to be a right film. I can’t do a brainless entertainer. I loved ‘Aashiqui’ and ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’. They are great examples. These films have the heart at the right place,” said the 25-year-old, who considers himself very “boring”.
“I am an introvert. I just like to go to a set, work and go back to sleep. I am very boring. I am not a party guy or a social kind of a guy. I like to have conversations and watch movies, but I don’t think I can entertain large crowds.”
Well, given that he says so, it does justify that he is different from his father Anil, who is known to hold crowds altogether with his wit and charm.
Harshvardhan also believes his father has rightly balanced commercial and the artistic space in the industry.
“He has done a lot of artistic films also, but people tend to judge you by box office response. ‘Ram Lakhan’ was great for that time… It was a commercial potboiler in the 1980s, but ‘Parinda’ will stand the test of time better even today.
“It’s all about longevity. People should be watching my film 10 years from now,” said the sibling of actress Sonam Kapoor and producer Rhea Kapoor.
Considering the hype around the film, does he feel like a star already?
Pat came the reply: “I don’t think so.”
“I don’t think anybody knows me. Right now, the very upper class metro crowd knows me. I still need to reach the Indian audience. That will happen only once I start talking through TV. TV has the most reach. I have kept such a low profile that I don’t think anybody knows me.”
As of now, he has his eyes set on the release of “Mirzya”, which is coming to the screens on October 7. He says it’s beyond a film.
“I don’t think it’s just a film. It’s once in a lifetime that you get these kind of films. For me, ‘Mirzya’ is more than a film. Films will be films, but ‘Mirzya’ is like a life-changing experience.
“I have worked so honestly and the product has turned out to be good, I think it will not go waste. There will be some pay off,” he said in a confident tone.
