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"My long innings in Bollywood has been phenomenal"

Anil Kapoor's memorable performance in "Mr. India" still stands out, observes Madhur Tankha...

He may have acted in a number of Bollywood films of different genres, but his memorable performance in "Mr. India" still stands out. This is evident from the fact that children still fondly associate Anil Kapoor -- who has survived in the highly competitive film industry for more than two decades -- with that particular role.

"You will be surprised to know that children still call me `Mr. India'. This makes my job easier as I share a certain kind of comfort level with them. I can definitely take advantage of my `Mr. India' image for extending support to a noble cause," says Anil, who was in the Capital over the weekend to pledge support to Plan India's nationwide "Universal Birth Registration" campaign.

From his debut film "Woh Saat Din" to the recently released "Darna Zaroori Hai", Anil says his long innings in Bollywood has been phenomenal and beyond his expectations. Stating that films of the 1980s were difficult to do than the ones being made now, Anil says: "In those films, I had to deliver certain kinds of dialogues that are no longer used in movies these days. And the important thing was that even while using derogatory words, you had to utter them with a lot of conviction. I have been successful in such films. But now, people prefer movies that have logic, honesty and reality of today. Such films are more interesting, but it is easier to act in them than the earlier ones. Bollywood is now making successful low and medium budget films. Not just big stars, but also the new emerging actors are giving good performances. This is the golden period of Hindi cinema."

Asserting that the level of commitment and professionalism among the current crop of actors was quite high, the actor says that the bar has been raised so far as acting and looks were concerned. "Earlier, if your films flopped at the box-office you could still emerge strong, but now if you do one bad film you are out."

Having survived in Bollywood when so many actors have come and gone, Anil reveals that this has been possible due to a combination of things. "Hard work, right choice of films, being exclusive, having the right people around who tell you what you are doing wrong. Also due to my physical appearance. By the end of the year and early 2007, my two films `Salaam E Ishq' and `Welcome' will be released." As for his daughter Sonam's foray into the Hindi film industry, Anil says though Sanjay Leela Bhansali has given her a role in one of his upcoming film, she will have to put in a lot of hard work to prove herself. "Sonam has a long way to go and the journey in Bollywood will be full of challenges. To succeed here, she needs to concentrate on her present assignment. In fact, Bhansali, who is our country's finest filmmakers, will make her slog so hard that after finishing her shooting, she will have to give a serious thought whether she wants to continue acting in films or not. That she is a celebrity's daughter will not take her anywhere. Her work will speak for itself."

The actor, who has a knack for re-inventing himself, says that in his film "My Wife's Murder" he tried something very different. "When you are leading a seven-star life and travelling in Mercedes Benz how do you remain in touch with people? So, I decided to ride a cycle from my house to the shooting site. This way I could not only interact with the common man but also do cardiovascular exercise." Dismissing suggestions that Aamir Khan has political ambitions as he is lending support to Narmada Bachao Andolan, Anil says the former believes in doing things wholeheartedly and with total conviction. "Aamir must have thought 50 times before going ahead with the decision. He does not need publicity. He is talking about rehabilitation of the people affected by the dam's construction. But the matter has been politicised. Today he is being targeted, tomorrow they may target someone else."

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