The dishy and debonair Kunal Kapoor has been selective with his choice of films since his breakout role in Rang De Basanti (2006). He last appeared in the magnum opus, The Empire (2021). Known for choosing stories rooted in realism, Kapoor found Robbie Grewal’s upcoming Netflix heist thriller, Jewel Thief, a tempting opportunity to embrace something more filmy. “I grew up watching these films [filled with] dialogue baazi. It’s great fun to do, especially because all the films that I have done have been more real, not over the top. Here was a chance to not only be rooted and real but also have a lot of fun with it. In fact, I would love to do more of it,” smiles Kapoor.
Produced by Siddharth Anand’s Marflix Pictures, the film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Nikita Dutta. As much fun as it was to shoot for it, Kapoor, who plays a cop in Jewel Thief, says a commercial entertainer is more difficult to pull off than a “serious film”, contrary to popular belief. “People assume it’s difficult to make a serious film. I think it’s even more difficult to make an entertaining film, especially a thriller. It’s difficult to get it right because you need to keep the audience hooked. [That’s why] it’s important that you work with the right people,” says the actor, who returns to films after four years.
He shares that the break wasn’t a voluntary one but stemmed from uninspiring script offers. Having worked on movie sets for 25 years—as a production assistant, then an assistant director, and eventually an actor—he says, “I am happiest on a movie set. [But I was] not feeling excited about what was coming my way. So, the break wasn’t out of lack of desire. The break gave me a chance to spend time developing work that I enjoy, like have the writers’ room develop scripts, some that I want to act in and some I want to produce. It also gave me an incredible amount of time to spend with my son. He is three years old now. So, that was a good thing about not getting the right scripts.”
Kunal Kapoor’s calendar
>> The actor has a film with south star Chiranjeevi, titled Vishwambhara.
>> He is set to shoot for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana where he plays Indra Dev.
>> Kapoor has a yet-untitled film with Aamir Khan Productions, slated for release this year.
