GOOD, GROWING,
GETTING BETTER
Undoubtedly, one of the best actors during the last seventeen years, improving with every film, growing more and more mature in the seventy odd films he has done. From the seventy-year-old grandfather in K Vishwanath’s Eeshwar to Subhash Ghai’s tapori (street smart character) in Ram Lakhan to the suave and sophisticated gentleman caught in a delicate dilemma in Lamhe, Anil has played every kind of character and excelled in them. With just one supporting role in Subhash Ghai’s Taal he has proved that he is an actor first, the length doesn’t matter. His sincerity according to his elder brother “without whose guidance I would have been a different actor altogether is sheer professionalism, sincerity, enthusiasm and absolute insecurity.” It is just days before the release of one more Anil Kapoor starrer, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai I have met him on the eve of several of his releases, almost all and have always found him a very different man, not the usual Anil but Anil the actor eager to know what the people will have to say about his film, his role and the film as a whole. He is not very eager to talk about Hamara Dil.... He says it is a film which needs “seeing” more than “talking”. Anyway, he answers a few questions trying to bring in some more excitement, some more emotion in his describing a film on which depends a great deal of his future as an actor.

Do you still feel insecure during the release of your new film? You have done over 70 films so far. You should have been a tough star-actor ready to face any challenge any time. Then, why this insecurity?
My insecurity is my strength as an actor. I can never sit back on my laurels. That’s not my way of life. I keep guiding myself. I keep goading myself. I take pleasure in the excitement waiting for the release of the film and so keep talking about it till the day it is released and for days later. The expectations of the people keep me on my toes all the time. It is their expectations that have kept me alive as an actor till now and I hope to raise their expectations in the most challenging phase of my career to come.

What do you think of a whole lot of new boys who have thronged the industry. Don’t you think they are some kind of a major competition for you?
I have made it one of my principles not to talk about what other people are doing with themselves and their careers. I know there are a number of talented boys who have come in who could be a very big challenge for me but they don’t give me a scare because I know where I stand and what my place is. I have worked very hard all these years. I have overcome obstacles which I feel these new boys will not have to face, God forbid. I have prepared myself in every possible way to last and I want to last till the last day of my life as a good actor, a very good actor. I also have my goals which take me away from thinking of things like competition from these young boys and I am busy working towards that goal.

What is that goal?
I cannot describe it just now but I know that there is some power within me that is politely pushing me to reach somewhere on high as an actor. Nothing else matters to me till I reach that goal which even I am unaware of. I am waiting for that day and I am waiting for the people to see me on that day when I come up with something extra-ordinary as an actor.

How do you feel after spending seventeen years and working so hard and being recognised as one of the finest actors of the country?
I am very grateful to all those who think that I am a fine actor, but believe me I am not the kind of actor who is easily satisfied. I have to do some really tough roles to make my life and career meaningful. I want to live a meaningful life in every way. If not I could have done any and every role and become a multi-millionaire actor or star but certainly not a good actor. I would prefer to do anything to become a millionaire-actor a term I would like to coin for myself than just being a millionaire-star crazy after fame, fortune and even the fluctuations of fame and fortune.

Don’t you think that you are the kind of actor who needs great directors and writers to get the best out of you as an actor?
I just don’t think of them. I even dream of them. But where are they? Unless we have good directors and writers this industry will grow stagnant and that will be a very sad day for all of us. I hope and pray that day doesn’t dawn and I don’t have to see a scary sight like that.

A lot of young people, women especially asked me how you have managed to keep so fit, ram-rod straight and no tell-tale signs on your face.
Sacrifices, sacrifices my friend. You have to give up a lot of things to gain things good. I believe in keeping both the body and mind fit because an actor cannot be a good actor without a fit mind in a fit body.

What kind of role are you doing in Hamara Dil...?
Something I could sincerely call a different and difficult role. I play a young man caught between two women and two children under ci-rcumstances which are not very normal in society. There are roles which are difficult and you enjoy playing them. My role in Hamara Dil... is one of them. The difficulty I talk about is enjoyable only to me because only I can feel it. I hope I find many more roles like these in the future.

What kind of roles do you look forward to in the future?
As I said earlier, difficult roles which are enjoyable and exciting to the actor in me who has a long long way to go and an actor who has given away his heart, his soul and his body to acting.