Aditya Roy Kapur: The Unusual Hero

Blenders Pride Reserve Collection presented Entrepreneur India's 35Under35 2020 list which included some leading names from the field of entrepreneurship and Aditya Roy Kapur made it to the coveted list.

Actors do not have luxuries like that of singers who get to practice their notes and dancers who know their steps. For them, each day is a new day. Sometimes the camera wants them to be serious, while the other time it demands them to be quite the opposite. The glamourous faces that we see on the big screen get happy and gets hurt. But it takes a real person to be okay with every factor that creates an actor.

Aditya Roy Kapur is one of those few who have gracefully handled this bumpy ride of highs and lows. From becoming an overnight sensation with Aashiqui 2 to delivering a series of films that tanked at the box office, he has witnessed a lot. However, one thing that has remained constant is his effortless acting and those expressions that instantly strike a conversation with you.

Source: Instagram

The Beginning

The talented actor started as a VJ under the tutelage of Lola Kutty and still remembers wearing a t-shirt that clearly stated 'Trainee VJ'.

"VJing happened to me. I happened to be called for an audition that I went for. I wasn't even trying to take the job but I wasn't doing anything that time. My mom told me you better take this up because you're doing damn all with your life, you might as well be constructive in some way so I reluctantly took the job. I did that for four and a half years and I loved it. I interviewed half of the film industry before I got into it," he said.

Acting followed in a similar pattern. He gave an audition for 'London Dreams' and got a role. Followed by some notable roles in Guzaarish and Action Replay. Aashiqui 2 gave Bollywood a new passionate lover but then came the rocky road. Some would blame the director or the scripts he picked but he has no rue.

"At that time all those movies seemed right and I could never have said no to. A lot of them haven't done well one could say, they were mistakes but I don't regret having done any one of them. I feel I've learned a lot from every filming process, every director, every character I've played. It has informed me and and and enriched me in some way or the other."

New Innings

The thing with the films is that it's beyond your control. The only thing to him is that he loves being on set and working on with different teams on films. What makes him interesting is a simple fact that he ain't like your usual heroes but his perfected sculptured face tells you another story.

He has taken self-imposed sabbaticals, dealt with lows, simply because he finds satisfaction in other things too.

"I can't take work if I'm just not 100% convinced about wanting to do that thing just for the sake of work. I have other interests that I derive joy from, I love sport, travelling, different things that that can engage me. I can find satisfaction from them in the lows and the time I spend away from filming. The ideal thing would be to try and maintain an equilibrium through all the highs and lows. It is easier said than done." he said.

The chiseled actor is back and all set for his second innings. 2020 looks promising for him with Mohit Suri's Malang that has just hit the screens followed by Mahesh Bhatt's Sadak 2 and Anurag Basu's Ludo. He is totally the new action hero on the block!

(This article was first published in the February issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. To subscribe, click here)