Arjun Kapoor Bares His Heart

Arjun Kapoor is on cloud nine as the unconventional Ki & Ka has been accepted by the audience. He shares his euphoria with Suman Sharma

- Suman Sharma

Arjun Kapoor gives a stay-off vibe till you get to know him. All doubts melt as he opens up and shares his innermost insecurities with you. His eyes take on a sombre turn when he talks about his mother, they take on another hue when the talk veers to his heroines and they sparkle with softness when he talks about his sister Anshula and cousin Sonam Kapoor. He has weathered many an emotional storm in the past but this gentle giant hasn’t let all that get to him. In fact, that’s made him a grounded actor, a sorted human being. He’s choosing his roles wisely as he’s learning the ropes, testing his boundaries and emerging a better actor with each outing. Excerpts from a straight from the heart tete-a-tete…

YOU HAD TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE TO PLAY YOUR CHARACTER IN KI & KA…

Not really. Because I realised there is a homemaker in every man. We just shy away from it. I’ve never done any cleaning at home. But in a scene I had to sweep the floor and was able to do it fairly well.

HOW DID DIRECTOR R BALKI HELP YOU DEFINE YOUR ROLE KA?

I have a big frame so I can look daunting to the audience. He said he wanted the gentleness of the giant. He wanted the body language to be relaxed and childlike. The eyes had to have a soft look. I had to learn how to cook. He said get into the kitchen and feel comfortable around it. He wanted me to get a hang of the utensils, grasp how to cut, chop and clean. He was clear that the kitchen was going to be my office, my domain and I had to own it.

IT SEEMS HE CALLED YOU JOHNSONS’S BABY…

Oh! I didn’t know this. I can be myself around him. If I didn’t like something I’d go and tell him that. He thought I was like a child...grumpy!

DID YOUR EXPERIENCE OF LIVING ALONE COME IN HANDY IN THIS ROLE OF A HOMEMAKER?