Mind over matter

Date: 23 Jul 2007 | Author: Baano | Views: 22 With the whole world raving about her wealth of talent post-Omkara, Kareena Kapoor decided to take some time off. She’s now back with a bang. Armed with a calculated approach, this fourth generation star from the Kapoor khandaan talks about all that really matters. Omkara brought you success, critical acclaim and the Best Female Actor award by Screen. But since then you haven’t been seen in a single film. Would you call it a golden opportunity lost? Just because Omkara was successful does not mean that I jump onto the bandwagon and do roles just for meagre screen presence. On the contrary, as an actor you sometimes need to take time off, sit back on your ambitions and reflect and focus on the career ahead. But being a part of such a creative world don’t you feel stagnant when your wealth of ability lies at rest for so long? What if your closet of talent fills up with cobwebs? That is not possible. Acting runs in my blood and I could churn out my best on any day. I agree that it has been a long time and I have been equally restless to get back to work. But too often actors are taken for granted and compared to workaholic machines, which obviously they’re not. And anyway the coming year is going to be hectic so I already have quite a lot on my mind. So how does it feel to be finally back on a set after all these months? I must say it feels great. The last film I had worked on was Don and now that I am finally back in front of the camera again, there is no better feeling than to be on the move and do what you love the most. After your cameo in Don, which panned majorly in ‘item’ number, what has been the incentive of doing another ‘item’ number in Kya Love Story Hai? I am doing this song for Lovely Singh. He’s like family to me and I have known him since his days as an assistant director during Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai. We share a great rapport and he has always discussed his dreams and ambitions with me. So now that he’s making his directorial debut, he requested me to do this song for his film. And naturally I agreed without any second thoughts. To me, doing this song has an emotional incentive and I am doing it personally and not professionally. You hail from such an illustrious background of acting. Do you think a meagre screen presence of five minutes does justice to a Kapoor? I am not a part of this industry just because I come from the Kapoor family. I am also here because I like being here. On a similar note, acting is not all about weighted performances. It is also about professional satisfaction, so obviously there is no point in doing something for the heck of it. I’m doing glamorous and ‘hip’ numbers because I get a high doing them. I really enjoy being a part of the film industry through any form of contribution on my part. You seem to be defying trends, in the sense that early on in your career you have portrayed placid and unglamorous characters in films like Refugee, Chameli and Omkara. Are you trying to shy away from your inherent charismatic and debonair image? All those films gave me an opportunity to excel at my profession. It’s not that there is a question of being glamorous . The point is that as an actor you need to strike a fine balance. You can’t be eye- candy all the time, you also need to be respected as an actor. In a recent television show hosted by a friend on a popular channel, you ran down a few actors as you enjoyed the coffee flavour. It has made the headlines in the media. What’s your take? I don’t take media’s talks seriously and I guess no one does. As far as the show goes, it is a show of humour. Whatever was said was very light-hearted and should be taken with a pinch of salt. Fans of Shahid and you are itching to see you paired together again after Chup Chup Ke. What’s cooking on that front? Actually, Shahid and I are quite restless about it too. But it just cannot be a hasty decision, I want to do a special film with him (Shahid). And I am more than happy to say that it is finally going to happen. We have a film together with Imtiaz Ali and it’s a beautiful romantic film. It is set in the glades of Punjab and it’s about a young Punjabi girl meeting a city boy on a train headed to Bhatinda. It is the perfect film and I just can’t wait to start shooting for it. Your elder sibling has been out of the industry for a very long time now, but recently there have been contemplation about you and Karisma working together. Well, she is a mother and her prime focus right now is on motherhood. Although she does get a fair share of proposals, for now she is content attending to the needs of her daughter, Samaira. What other films are you working on? Apart from those we have already talked about, I am also doing a film with Yash Raj Films with Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar. Trust me, if anyone ever had complaints of me not doing enough glamorous roles, then this YRF project is going to leave them speechless. It has to be ‘the’ most glamorous role I have ever done. I am also doing Lajjo with Mani Ratnam and am looking forward to a bright and busy year ahead. Are you still a part of Kismat Talkies? Yes, I am. Well, you look as radiant as ever and certainly very sleek. What’s the secret? I must credit my newfound fitness levels to Bharat Thakur’s yoga sessions. The hour-and-a- half sessions every day have helped me tremendously to gain focus and maintain sync between my body and soul. I certainly recommend yoga to anyone who wants to be mentally and physically fit.