PicShik Blog

The 40-plus Anil Kapoor seems to have rediscovered himself. Parked behind the desk in his freezing office, he’s beaming like an actor who’s just in his prime. This year, he completes 25 years in the movies and anyone who’s had as many highs as lows in over two decades as he has, has earned the right to feel a little giddy about it. On a roll with his scene-stealing act in Welcome, Anil now prepares for his new film Black and White, which releases next Friday. In a no-holds-barred encounter, Anil talks about his big ‘comeback’, beti Sonam and everything else that matters like never before.

Black and White looks like an arty film. Is it?
Subhash Ghai cannot make an arty film. But yes, it’s very different from what he has done before but still, it is a Subhash Ghai film it has a story to it. Drama, emotions and songs. It’s a kind of a first for both of us. For the kind of films we have done together in the past. Meri Jung, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Trimurti and finally Taal have all been typical mainstream films.
Let’s talk about your role.
I play a professor who teaches Urdu. It wasn’t a conscious decision to do this film now. But my relationship with Subhash is such that I can never say no to him. He’s the only filmmaker for who I can start shooting even without reading the script. He told me that the whole cast is new. So I asked him, ‘then why do you want me? And he said ‘No one understands me like you and so I want you.’
Maybe for the star value?
(Uncomfortably) I don’t know what was in his mind. So I said, ‘Ok, I will do it.’
The Welcome tapori image works for you, So won’t B&W hamper that?
I always have had totally different kinds of films releasing one after the other but it has never affected my career adversely. Years ago, I had a Ram Lakhan followed by an Eshwar. I remember Subhash Ghai and Shekhar Kapur told me that it was a big blunder. Now two weeks after Black and White, I have Race that is again a hardcore commercial flick.