With Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai steamrolling its way into super hit territory, Tusshar Kapoor is red hot property right now. In his first interview following the film's success, the soft-spoken star (believe it or not) opens up his heart to Jyothi Venkatesh.
You must be on a high following the success of Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai…
You bet I'm on Cloud Nine right now! MKKH literally swept the box office, and that's something neither anyone nor I expected. At least, not on this scale. I was confident that the film would click, but frankly, I was a little but nervous prior to the film's release. A lot of people in the media kept harping upon my non-conventional looks. But that's all water under the bridge now. The film is a hit and everyone's calling to congratulate me. I'm still savoring the sweet taste of success.
To what extent has the film's success affected you? You can say I'm a much more confident actor today. But I'll never let complacency seep into my system. One hit doesn't make you a star. I know that I still have still a long way to go. I'm not letting success go to my head.
Did you always want to be an actor?Always! I had a great passion for cinema. I would always dream of the day I would become an actor like my Dad. I grew up in a filmi atmosphere, after all. So I can't help it if movies are in my blood. Even when I was doing my Business Management in the US, I was very conscious of my father's status as a big film star. I would make it a point to see all the Hindi movies whenever I got a chance. After getting my business degree, I worked for a year in Michigan but I got bored pretty fast. I realised that corporate life wasn't meant for me. So I came back to India to pursue a career in films.
But you potted around a bit, didn't you?Yeah! It was important to learn the tricks of the trade before starting my career as an actor. So when I came to Bombay, I became an assistant to David Dhawan. He was directing Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge at that time. I must say that the experience did me a world of good. I got a very close, first-hand look at Bollywood.
How is it that you didn't make your debut in a home production?Frankly, my father had every intention of launching me. But I wasn't in a tearing hurry to see myself on the screen. I wanted to wait for a couple of years before making my debut. But when Vashu Bhagnani approached me with MKKH, I was completely blown by the script. It was a remake of a hit Telugu film. I thought it would be an ideal launching pad for me. What's more, the hero's character suited me to a 'T'. Even my father felt the same way.
You play a shy guy in the film. Are you a little like that in real life?When it comes to matters of the heart, my character in the film never manages to express his true feelings. He's a real shy guy. I suppose, I'm a lot like that in real life. Maybe that's why I could relate to my character. Like Karan, I am slightly introverted and do not open up easily. So in an odd sort of way, the role suited me like a glove.
MicIt seems rather odd for someone who's got a degree from higanYou're telling me you can't open up to a girl?…What's Michigan got to do with it? I went there to study, not to learn how to talk to girls. It's a fact that I am an introvert. Unless I know the person, I don't bare my heart. That's how I have always been.
So you don't have a girlfriend yet?No, I don't. I am not seeing anyone right now. Let me clarify though, that I am not closed to a relationship. All I'm saying is that it hasn't happened yet.
The readers would like to know, what it is that you would you look for in a girl…
Ah, let me see… I'd want the woman of my dreams to be very beautiful. She must also be wise. Not to forget, she must have a great sense of humour.
What prompted you to add on that extra 's' to your name?Hey, I'm not the first guy to change his name for the screen. If you remember well, even my Dad changed his name from Ravi Kapoor to Jeetendra. In my case, Tushar became Tusshar because my sister Ekta's astrologer Sunita Menon was very sure that adding the extra 's' would spell success for me. It seems to have worked, hasn't it?
It must have been great working with Kareena Kapoor considering that her mother Babita was your father's co-star in Farz…
You bet, it was! I was aware of the fact that exactly twenty five years ago it was my Dad and her Mom who set the screen on fire. Now it's the turn of the second generation. I think Kareena is a very talented actress. Mark my words, she's gonna make it big…very big. She's also great fun to work with. I think we make a good team on screen. She never made me feel like this was my first film. If I missed a step she was always ready to help me out.
Being the son of a big star like Jeetendra must have been a tremendous advantage…
It was and it wasn't! Look here, I feel that there are both pros and cons to my being the son of a celebrity. Unlike any outsider, there was no desperate urgency to sign every film that came my way. Being my father's son, it was a lot easier for me to get a break. I was even lucky enough to have the luxury of choice. But I believe that being a star son only takes you up to a certain point. After that, you are on your own. My being the son of Jeetendra means that people will have great expectations from me. It is I who has to stand tall and deliver the goods in order to prove myself.
So how do you compare yourself with your father?I guess people will always make comparisons between any star father and star son. It's inevitable. But I think that's very unfair. Let's face the facts. I am just a newcomer and you can't compare me with an icon who has survived in the film industry for three and a half decades.
Nevertheless, you must emulate your father, unconsciously, if not consciously…
If at all I emulate my dad, it certainly isn't on a conscious level. There are bound to be times I sound like him…or even seem like him, but it isn't deliberate on my part. People often ask me whether I want to be another Jumping Jack like my Dad. But I tell them I want to be my own actor.
TThat hasn't prevented people from nicknaming you Jumping Jackson already…
Let me tell you straightaway that I never liked the term 'Jumping Jack'. I feel it was wrong to label Dad as a Jumping Jack, because he did more than just dance in his films. He proved his acting mettle in films like Kinara, Kitaab, Parichay and Khushboo
Yet he never got an award to show for his hard work…
To me, it's all a matter of perspective. I firmly believe that Dad was a tremendous performer. Nobody lasts for thirty-five years in films if he cannot act. The people loved him and still do. It's their verdict that matters. That's the only true award one could wish for as an actor. For me it is the ultimate measure of how good one is.
How do you plan to handle competition like Hrithik Roshan, Fardeen Khan and Abhishek Bachchan?Competition is a good thing. It makes me put in a lot of hard work. All of the guys you mentioned are pretty good actors. But I don't believe we're up against each other. Each one is special in his own respect. And there is plenty of room for all of us. Incidentally, Abhishek, who happens to be a good friend of mine attended the song recording of my film. So there's no rivalry between us as such. At this point of time when we're all new and at the start of our careers, people are bound to make comparisons. But eventually it's our individual work that cine-goers are going to judge. I am totally focused on improving myself. Right now, the most important criteria for me is to find acceptance from the audience. People's opinion won't be based on what they think of other stars. It's when you get in to the number game that the comparisons really come in. I have not reached that stage yet. So I am not worried or insecure about competition.
On what basis do you select your films?To me, the script is of primary importance. I see whether the character suits me or not and whether I can do justice to it. Next comes my tuning with the director. I like to associate with directors who are passionate about their work and have their own distinct style. The banner is also very important. I never take a step without analyzing it thoroughly. Of course, I'm lucky to have my father to advice me if I'm unsure.
What films do you presently have on hand?I am working in Padmalaya's new film Kya Dil Ne Kaha in which I have been teamed opposite Esha Deol. I am working with Esha once again in our home production Koi Aap Jaisa, which will go on the floors with Anurag Bose as the director. I am also working in Tips' new venture, Friends, to be directed by Shaina Nath, who is daughter of Rakesh Nath. The film also has Karan Nath.
And what kind of roles are you looking for?It's too early in the day for me to decide as to what kinds of roles I should and shouldn't do. If I were to premeditate the kind of roles I wanted, I would end up getting typecast - which I fear and detest. I do not plan and do things but prefer to go by my instincts. I like to take each step as it comes. Today, I'm ready and willing to tackle different kinds of roles, be it action packed, comedy or romantic. I want to work in films that have depth and sensitivity - films that people will remember.
Finally, from where you stand right now, what does the future look like? Very rosy! I cannot see myself anywhere else but in this industry which I love. This is where I truly belong and this is where I'm always going to be.
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.I Love You .All The Best To You.
