An unidentified woman, claiming to be the basis for the series character, expressed her intention to pursue legal action against the creators
entertainment1 hour ago
CHALLENGER: Anil Kapoor took an offbeat career turn by playing the antagonistic game show host in Slumdog Millionaire
A movie poster is all it took for the makeover. Anil Kapoor, now 58, has finally opted for a mature, commensurate-with-his-age look, and has instantly become a talking point in a business constantly worried about looking young before the camera.
The poster in question is for the upcoming Dil Dhadakne Do, directed by the feisty Zoya Akhtar. Set on an ocean liner, this purported romedy about a dysfunctional Punjabi family features a gamut of A-listers, including Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma and Farhan Akhtar. Since actors are wont to conceal their age, it must have taken some persuasion from the director to convince the actor to go for the mature look required by his role as Kamal Mehra, outfitted in sharp &designer suits.
GUEST APPEARANCE: As the playboy millionaire Brij Nath in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, a blink-and-you miss-it role for Kapoor
Zoya laughs, “Yes, Anil was sceptical at the outset but after a make-up and costume test, he was gung-ho. According to me, he hasn’t looked this cool before, and I’m not saying this just because it’s my film. If you ask me, he doesn’t need to colour his hair black ever. He keeps in shape at the gym by working out for long hours. He doesn’t need cosmetics or facelifts at all.”
I’m inclined to agree with Zoya, especially at a juncture when the lead actors who’ve touched — or are about to touch — 50 continue to subtract their age to survive as leads. Shah Rukh Khan has joked about this in Chennai Express, what with co-star Deepika Padukone quizzing him about his age. Aamir Khan passed off as a campus &student in 3 Idiots, convincingly though. And Salman Khan has cemented an ageless image à la Rajnikanth. No one cares if Salman’s an adolescent or middle aged, as long as those shirt-tearing muscles are flaunted, instantly drawing wolf whistles from the audience.
SILVER FOX: The actor’s natty, mature look in the upcoming film Dil Dhadakne Do
By contrast, Anil had faced a career slump in the noughties. After a spate of downers (Musafir, My Wife’s Murder, Bewafaa, Chocolate), he got back to form with his career-resuscitating performance as a crafty TV host in Slumdog Millionaire. This was followed by a prominent part in the American TV &series 24 and a not-so-prominent part in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, which, as it happened, neither damaged nor boosted his career.
Perhaps, the actor opted for a different route, once he broke away from his elder brother, producer Boney Kapoor, who could, in retrospect, be described as a control freak. Whatever Boney wanted, Anil did. The two brothers continue to be on cordial terms but, evidently, Anil now takes his decisions independently, besides helming a multi-media production office.
The actor’s grown-up kids are good-humoured about their father’s obsession to act and produce films. “He never sits still for a split second,” Sonam laughs. “And he behaves more like our buddy than our dad. If there’s been any change in him, it’s that he’s bonding much more with our mother (jewellery designer Sunita Kapoor) nowadays. Earlier, he was constantly travelling, shooting at some faraway location. We’d hardly see him. Now, he’s making up for lost time.”
His younger daughter Rhea produces films, his son Harshvardhan will make his debut as an actor with Rakeysh Mehra’s period romance Mirziya and, Sonam Kapoor, of course, is already established as a glamorous actress and fashion icon. Meanwhile, alongside the Indian version of 24, Kapoor has plans to adapt the American sitcom Modern Family.
In real life, Anil insists on looking boyish, partial to jeans and tees. A late bloomer in fashion, he turns up nattily dressed in bespoke suits at Bollywood events. Ironical, this. There was a time when his colleague and rival of the 80s and early 90s, Jackie Shroff, sparked fashion trends. Now, Kapoor does, shopping frequently at the high-end stores on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.
So I wasn’t surprised when a technician working on Dil Dhadakne Do disclosed that Anil has somewhat stolen the show from the younger lot on the ocean liner-set movie.
When you tell him that, he turns politically correct, saying, “Nah, not really. This source of yours is being kind. Yes, I’ve gone in for a new look. But as an actor, I can never change.”
And how would he describe himself as an actor?
To that, Anil responds quite spontaneously, “A-plus. And that’s simply because I know when I’ve made a mistake and insist on a retake.”
An unidentified woman, claiming to be the basis for the series character, expressed her intention to pursue legal action against the creators
entertainment1 hour ago
The memoir is inspired by his famed "Rocky" character's running up the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps in the 1976 film's legendary training montage
entertainment1 hour ago
The Indian singer could be seen apologising to the Pakistani actor for not recognising her at first instance
entertainment1 hour ago
The singer performed for over 54,000 fans
entertainment1 hour ago
The actor known for his romance flicks in Bollywood has been on a hiatus for 9 years
entertainment1 hour ago
Here are some thrilling ways to escape the summer heat and enjoy the indoors to the fullest
entertainment1 hour ago
After a bout of torrential rain, Dubai has bounced back like no other city, with automotive events being organised in full swing and big announcements being made
auto1 hour ago
Sounds of prayer 'hallelujah…praise the lord' filled the air as part of a religious ceremony marking the soft opening of the facility
uae1 hour ago