Kapoor clans’ other star

Just as other star kids Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan struggled before they took their place in the spotlight, Arjun Kapoor has too. What set him apart, however, was his choice of an unconventional debut in Ishaqzaade. That was followed by the rather “dark” Aurangzeb, and now, it is Gunday in which Arjun will be seen next. 

Shunning a softer, romantic role perhaps led to the impression that Arjun was rather like the intense characters he portrayed on screen. However, that perception has changed after the young actor made an appearance on a recent episode of Koffee With Karan. “Thanks to Karan for giving me the chance to show that I’m an average 20-plus guy,” says Arjun. “I love hanging out with friends and partying.” 

Indeed, Arjun’s “friendships” — especially with some of B-town’s divas — have oft been in the news. From reportedly being Anushka Sharma’s “4 am friend” to being “the man in Alia Bhatt’s life”, Arjun invariably makes headlines. 

“I’m very fond of Anushka. I don’t know about being her ‘4 am friend’ but I do like her and respect her. And I’m not dating Alia. Alia and I were supposed to go for a party. Like friends would, we called each other and coordinated the time we’d get there as we didn’t want to go alone. And that got blown out of proportion. If I’m asked questions like ‘Do you like Alia and Anushka?’ I’ll say ‘Yes, I do’. Unfortunately the concept of pure ‘friendship’’ is very warped here,” Arjun rebuts.

Was that why he openly declared his “brotherly” feelings for Katrina Kaif? “I love Katrina,” Arjun says. “It’s a clean friendship. I’m genuinely fond of her. But if I’m seen at cafe or just hanging out with her, people will put two and two together (and get five). I’ve known Katrina even before she started her career. Giving a name to our friendship was out of sheer pressure from society. Honestly, the brother-sister bit wasn’t meant for public information, but we had to underline that so that our meetings didn’t end up making headlines!”

Moving on to his films, currently, the Kapoor lad is busy with his much-talked-about film 2 States. But he still manages to stay in touch with his extended family.  

Arjun tells us that his cousin Sonam (Kapoor)  dotes on him. “Sonam is the big ‘brother’ I never had. She is the most loving and responsible girl in our family. Every time she goes abroad, she makes it a point to check if I need anything. Twice every week, she’ll call to check on my sister Anshula and me,” Arjun says, and adds, “I’m also very protective of her. I just have to stand next to her like a Punjabi brother and that is enough to keep the boys away from her!” 

Arjun’s contemporary Ranbir Kapoor decided to take his family legacy ahead by launching his own production house. Since Arjun too comes from a family of producers and actors, will he take the plunge as well? “I want to first establish myself as an actor,” Arjun says. “I’d rather not make tall claims at this stage in my career. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”