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Taking risks have made me what I am

DNMUM247299 | 6/16/2012 | Author : Aakanksha Naval-Shetye | WC :566

Actor Anil Kapoor gets candid about making his own rules; also reveals his balancing act when it comes to action films

If there's one thing that actor Anil Kapoor has studiously avoided in his career spanning more than three decades, then it is being type-cast in any particular image. "Acting is all about reinventing yourself as an actor each time you face the camera," says Anil, adding, "frivolous tags or titles are not something I dig." However, with the current lot of back-to-back hardcore action films under his belt, right from his most recent release Tezz to Race 2 to Shootout At Wadala, it may be hard for the actor to avoid the action tag. In fact, point out that he is easily one of the original action heroes of Bollywood, what with several of his films having generous doses of raw action, and Anil waves it off with a smil
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e. "Action, yes maybe! But for every Ram Lakhan there has been an Eeshwar and for every Tezaab there's been a Mr India, so the balance has never tilted in favour of any one genre and I intend to keep it that way," says the actor.
What Anil doesn't deny however is that it's a genre that he's always enjoyed. "Having been a part of films with absolute raw action like hand-to-hand combats to the harness-and-chase kind of action films, and now seeing the rawness being reintroduced has been a rather thrilling journey, it's been fun, but I don't think action ever overshadowed me as an actor. Also I think I put the commas in the right places by doing films in all genres and each time the risk has been worth it," smiles Anil, as he recalls several industry people insisting that he not do some films including the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, calling it professional suicide. "But each time, I have gone ahead, taken that risk and made my own rules. Taking those risks have made me what I am today!"
The actor may not shy away from taking risks in films or losing out on the moolah by turning down brand endorsement offers, but when it comes to lending his name to a social cause, it's a different thing altogether. In fact, the actor's documentary Trapped by Tradition on human trafficking even beat Hollywood hottie Demi Moore's documentary on the same subject to win the Gold Prize at the New York Festival's International TV and Film Awards recently, which the actor considers is just as special as the Oscars! "I have nothing to sell. I am an actor, not a salesman, that's why you don't see me endorse one brand after another. But I took up this cause only to draw the attention that the issue requires. Even the award was far from my mind," he says. "Doing this documentary was a different experience altogether as the involvement here was more than that of an actor for me. The challenge was in tackling the issue right from the grassroot level and handling it very sensitively given the nature of the documentary," adds Anil, who is currently in Turkey shooting for Race 2.
While away, the actor also happened to miss daughter, actor Sonam's birthday, but Anil reveals that he is looking forward to celebrating it once he gets back home. "I usually make it a point to always be home on such special days, but this time around, it wasn't possible. I have promised her to make up for it though," smiles the doting dad.