Kapoor & grandson

Not every Kapoor needs a big launch finds Tanzim Pardiwalla as she chats with Zahan Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor's grandson

- Tanzim Pardiwalla

When you think of a Kapoor family making a debut, you think of a big flashy film backed by a major production house. But that wasn't the choice Zahan Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor's grandson made. The newcomer who debuted with Hansal Mehta's action thriller Faraaz says he took a "leap of faith."

In Faraaz, a Hansal Mehta directorial based on the 2016 Dhaka terrorist attack, Zahan plays the titular character but the role is understated with little to no dialogue. He is aware of his legacy but he's got his priorities right. "I don't want that to be the conversation because if you are going to the cinema to see a Kapoor's debut you will be disappointed. If you are going to the cinema to see the story of Faraaz, I think you will be impacted by the story. So it is not a vehicle for me, it is about participating and serving this important story," he explains.

Zahan reveals that he did not want the movie to be about him. "I was desperate to find some kind of work that I felt was meaningful and Hansal Mehta was also interested in telling the story and not creating a formulaic product. He didn't say 'hum ek naya star ko launch karenge aur usme itna paisa kharch karenge and ek bada banner hoga."