The new Kapoor on the block

Zahan Kapoor's physical resemblance with a young Shashi Kapoor is difficult to miss. But the similarities between this Kapoor scion and his late grandfather, who would have turned 84 on the 18th of this month, run much deeper than their handsome faces

- Ananya Ghosh

Zahan Kapoor, the son of actor, filmmaker, and trustee of the iconic Prithvi Theatre, Kunal Kapoor, and renowned photographer Sheena Sippy, is the latest from the first family of Hindi cinema to have made his big-screen debut. In Hansal Mehta's Faraaz, he plays the titular character. The movie is based on the horrific incidents that unfolded inside the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh on the night of 1 July 2016, and Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, the affable young Emory University student, was among the 20 hostages killed by militants during the siege. It is far removed from the quintessential screen-scorching Bollywood hero role. But, he is effortless and nuanced as Faraaz.

Shashi Kapoor's grandson's rather low-key entry into cinema stands in sharp contrast to the big-ticket debuts of other members of the Kapoor clan. However, there is a strange parallel between the debut films of Zahan and his grandfather. Shashi Kapoor's first job as an adult actor was in Yash Chopra's National Award-winning 1961 film Dharmaputra, which like Faraaz, tackled issues such as religious bigotry and radicalism.

According to Zahan, it was not a strategic choice. He was reluctant to position himself as another privileged industry kid who deserves a big debut just because of his family name. "It didn't feel an organic and honest approach to opt for a big-ticket movie," says Zahan as we sit down at the Adda at Prithvi Theatre for a freewheeling chat.

"I was nervous about taking such a gamble and starting as a hero in a bigticket formula film that would require you to get big numbers at the box office in order to legitimise your status as the 'new star in town'. But, not many people become stars overnight and most get promptly written off. I was cautious and wary of this situation," the 30-year-old is at his candid best.