An Interview With Anil Kapoor

Anil Kapoor must be the lucky mascot for Slumdog Millionaire. When Danny Boyle was filming the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? quiz show scenes of his Oscar-winning film, he and his First Assistant Director were unable to get the extras that made up the audience to cheer on cue.

Enter Kapoor, who makes his English-language debut in the film as duplicitous quizmaster Prem Kumar.

One of Bollywood’s biggest stars, it was only when Kapoor stepped in that the crowd paid attention. It’s no surprise: getting the 52 year-old Kapoor involved was like reeling in the Indian equivalent to Tom Cruise.

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Born in Mumbai, the son of film producer Surinder Kapoor, Kapoor made his first film in 1979, and has since taking leading roles in over 100 movies. Still, nothing can compare to the remarkable success of Slumdog Millionaire, which charts the life of young contestant Jamal Malik (Dev Patel).

Winning four Golden Globes, seven Baftas and eight Oscars, it remarkably took Best Picture at all three award ceremonies.

As for Kapoor, who is married with three children, he took a share of the Screen Actor’s Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Below he talks about what it was like to be a part of the remarkable production that is Slumdog Millionaire. 

How did you get the role? Did you audition?

"No, I didn’t audition for it. I think Danny saw some of my work and I got a text that I was supposed to get in touch, that there were some people who wanted to do a film with me.

"I was not aware of who he was or his work. But my son (Harsh) was aware of him. He’s 17-years-old and he and his friends, they were very much aware of him. And they were huge fans of his. My son has seen all his films."

So did your son convince you to do the film?

"Yeah, yeah, and then he read the script and said, ‘It’s a great role. It’s got all these shades. You’ve done all these leading hero roles in all these Indian films, Bollywood films. But this is cast in grey – it’s the spine of the film and the film moves forward with this role.’ I

" said, ‘But who’s the hero of the film?’ – as usual! And he said, ‘Dad, come on! Just do it, man.’"

It’s true, though – your character is very integral to the film, even if he’s not the hero…

"Yes, but that’s what makes it exciting for me. It just has the kinds of shades, which you get when you do these kinds of roles, and you don’t get when you do a leading man’s role."

Were you influenced at all by the real-life presenter of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in India?

"No. I have not tried to do it the way he’s done it. He is the biggest star of India, who did that role, Amitabh Bachchan. But this is completely different from the way he does it."

So you’re not playing him then?

"I'm playing Prem. He came from what was there in my head, what I felt about the way he’s going to be, the way the script was written, the way the character was, and to a certain extent what feedback I got when Danny spoke to me about it. We discussed how this role was going to be, and we worked towards it, and made it our own role."

Did Danny first come and see you about the role?

"No, I went to see him. I just met him and said ‘I’m doing the film…My son’s asked me to do the film!’ So that’s it. No arguments. I told him, ‘I haven’t even read the script.’ But he had seen my work, and he felt I was the right person, so it was locked down immediately."

How does Danny compare to other directors you’ve worked with?

"Acting, direction – almost – is similar everywhere. Everyone has their own style of doing things, and there are certain directors who work the way he works. But definitely Danny is special.

"In India, I’ve had the opportunity to work with the best directors in our country. But definitely, he is special. Absolutely special. There’s no two ways about it. It’s been an unimaginable and phenomenal experience. His way of working, he lets you be, he lets you improvise…he’s not the kind of person who says, ‘Do it like this.’ He will let you do it the way you want to, then he will watch you and observe you, with just a word here and there. That’s why I think all the actors who’ve worked in his films have given great performances."

Are you now up to speed on Danny’s other films?

"I’ve seen Trainspotting. I’ve seen The Beach. And I’ve seen portions of Sunshine. For me, once I work with someone, I get so attached to that person, I like whatever he does! I’m that kind of person. We Indians are that kind of people. Especially me. I don’t like to be judgmental about something.

"He is brilliant and he is a phenomenal director. He’s respected. He’s huge all over the world. People love him. They respect him. They feel he is one of the best directors we have. And he’s a great human being. He’s so down-to-earth. More than anything else, aside from being a phenomenal director, he’s a fabulous human being.

"That makes the whole combination so wonderful. Makes you so comfortable when you’re working. We could do so much and so fast. I finished my entire work on the film in 11 days. This is the portion that really holds the film together. It stems from there. It’s like the spine of the film. "

Did they use the actual set of the Indian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

"No, they re-built it. It was the same production designer. He re-built it exactly the same."

Do you watch the show yourself at all?

"I’ve seen one or two of them. I’m so busy doing other things. I watched more after I accepted this film, as part of my research."

Did you learn anything from watching the show?

"What I did, when I watched all these anchormen, was look at their body language – the way they would sit, they way they would talk. All these external things, I did take from here, there and everywhere. Internally, of course. The internalisation of the role was completely from the script, Danny, and myself, what I felt as an actor. But there were a few external things I took from a few anchors."

What do you think of Prem’s relationship with Jamal?

"I started from scratch as an actor – almost from the slums, in my real life, I made it to become the biggest star. Obviously, when you reach this status, as a huge star, you really have to work. It’s like blood and sweat and all sorts of things you go through to make it big.

"Obviously, there will be times when there will be youngsters coming up, but you don’t want to let it go. It happened to me not once, but twice, thrice…there is an onslaught of youngsters! This is across 25 years. And every two or three years, there will be someone. So here, Prem Kumar is from the slums. He’s become the producer. He’s the master of the show. He owns the show. He runs the show. The whole of India is rooting for him. He’s a huge star. People love him. And here, a kid comes and threatens his position.

"So I could identify with that guy, what I was when I started my career. And to identify with the way I am and what I went through in my life. So it was a parallel thing. I could feel the way he’s feeling. What I felt, when I started. So all these tracks were there in my mind. That’s the reason I could just do it."

How did you keep ahead of all these young men in your career?

"Well, in real life, there is a lot of spirituality that comes to you, and you have a certain kind of depth and acceptance…but Prem Kumar, he is not that spiritual. He’s not that big a man, internally. He’s a small person. He doesn’t want to let go. He’s not that literate. He doesn’t have good friends. He doesn’t have a good family life. Everything is going wrong. His personal life is going wrong.

"But in my real life, everything has gone right for me. It was all those tracks running in my mind when performing…I could get all those streaks of passion, jealousy, patronisation, making fun of him, then being artificially nice to him – but not letting him know about it."

So how did you keep ahead of all these younger actors?

"Work harder and harder! I was lucky. Fortunate also. God has been kind. All these kind of things. Doing this role has been a catharsis for me. It made me remember where I came from."

And where was that?

"I came from the Chembur slums, in the suburbs of Mumbai. But I must say, this film, the way it’s been made, the way it came together, it has a different kind of destiny. It’s not been planned. It’s happened. It doesn’t happen to everybody. Let me tell you, it happens to only people who are zoned in the right direction, and sincere, honest and their integrity is in tact.

"For example, I felt when Danny was making this film he thought ‘I have to do my best on this film’. With all the handicaps, it was a smaller budget compared to the other films that he has done. He was working with all newcomers and actors he had never met. So he was fighting a battle, and that’s the reason I feel it’s completely his film. Like the casting – it needs a talent, ‘Yes, you’re the right person.’ Everything has gone right for him on this film. But it’s gone right for him because he was zoned in the right direction."

Like Jamal, then, in some way?

"Absolutely. There are a lot of Jamals in this film. Everyone was in that kind of space. The producer of the film. The director of the film. The entire Indian team. And they were all working as if they were working for their own people. And Danny as a leader inspired all of us to work like that.

"Let me be honest with you. When I accepted this film – and I know I shouldn’t say it – I never had commerce in mind. I said, ‘Whatever I get from this film, will go to charity.’ The whole approach of everybody was completely different."

What do you think of the depiction of India in the film?

"It’s very realistic. There is some inspiration from the Bollywood blockbusters, which have happened in the past. There’s a triangle love story that happens, which is very common in Indian films. And also the success story of the underdog, and the feelgood happy ending…everything is absolutely Bollywood!"

What is life like for you normally? Presumably you can’t walk down the street without being mobbed…

"It becomes part of your life. I’m so used to it. If it doesn’t happen, then you feel slightly odd! "

But are fans generally very respectful?

"Oh, yes. They’re very nice to me."

How many films do you make a year now?

"At the moment? Now, I’m doing less – about two films a year. But otherwise in my career, I’ve done four films a year. Only leading roles.

"Last twenty-six years of my life, I’ve been working almost 365 days a year. I just love being in front of the camera. But the last two, three, four years, obviously my children are growing up, so I’m taking it easy. My priority is with my family now. "   

How many children do you have?

"I have three children. A 17 year-old son (Harsh), a 21 year-old daughter (Rhea) and a 22 year-old daughter, (Sonam) who is an actress now. They all want to get in films. My wife Sunita’s completely fed up – she says one actor is enough!"

What does your wife do?

"She was a model, once upon a time. Then after she got married, she left that and now is a housewife and a mother. She says that’s the greatest profession!"

Would you like to do more English-language films?

"Well, I don’t know where life will take me…but I love acting and I love working and I love meeting different people. I’m so happy that whatever happens with the film, I’ve met Danny, Christian (Colson, producer) and all the people involved.

"For me, it’s already a huge success. It doesn’t matter. Just meeting and working with them…for me, I’m satisfied!"

Slumdog Millionaire was released on DVD on the 1st June 2009.

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