ARJUN KAPOOR

WITH ALL HE’S BEEN THROUGH, ARJUN KNOWS THE JOURNEY IS LONG AND GRANTS HIMSELF THE GRACE TO TAKE BREAKS AND HEAL. DISCUSSING HIS DEEP LOVE FOR HIS LATE MOTHER, EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FATHER AND EMBRACING HIS MODERN FAMILY, ALONG WITH HIS STRUGGLES WITH WEIGHT AND COMMITMENT TO MAKING BETTER CHOICES, THE DEBONAIR ACTOR OFFERS HELLO! A RARE GLIMPSE INTO HIS VULNERABLE SIDE

- NAYARE ALI

The torrential Mumbai rains can prove to be quite a challenge, even for the most courageous. While most would spend a rainy Sunday curled up in bed, we find Bollywood star Arjun Kapoor already immersed in a rather animated conversation with the style crew at the JW Marriott hotel in Juhu. The deluxe room, bustling with activity, mirrors a beehive of chaos and excitement. And amid it all stands Arjun, flaunting his taut abs and lean body, trying on multiple outfits with a focus as unyielding as the rains outside.

We step out into the majestic driveway of the hotel and heave a sigh of relief as we spot the luxurious Audi Q7 strategically parked for HELLO!’s cover shoot. The actor, son of legendary producer Boney Kapoor and the late television producer Mona Shourie Kapoor, had burst on to the scene with a powerful performance in his debut film, Ishaqzaade, 12 years ago. Tragically, Arjun lost his mother to cancer, just a few days before the film was released. Still grappling with grief, he threw himself into his work. Arjun recalls that period of hardship, sharing, “I lost my mom and I didn’t want to be away from work. Sometimes you are desperate to be busy because you don’t want to be idle.”

Recently, the actor returned from an invigorating detox experience at an exclusive health resort in Altaussee, Austria. Arjun beams as we compliment him on his toned physique. “I have been trying to get as fit as possible for 15-17 years now,” he confides, adding, “As you get older you have to learn to improvise, adapt and understand your body. I have my own health issues, like we all do. I have made peace with the fact that this is something I have to do for the rest of my life, as acting is a visual profession.”

A QUEST FOR BALANCE