Anil Kapoor is synonymous with the term ‘jhakhas’ (awesome), but having popularised it by using it in his 1985 film Yudh, he has since tried his hand at various formats of entertainment, the latest being the Big Boss OTT 3 show which has the tagline ‘Ab sab badlega’.
Talking about the show, with its new format of keeping contestants under the camera’s lens 24x7, he says, “Bahut ho gaya, jhakhas. Karte hain kuch khaas” (Enough of jhakhas, let’s do something different.) Asked how, in the new format, the ‘bedroom scenes’ or the private moments of the contestants will be presented, he said with a smile, “Wait and watch!”
Expressing his love for trying out new things, the actor said his response to the project had been, “Yar aisa kabhi kiya nahi hai, toh maza ayega isse karne mein. When you go with this thought process, that’s when you try to give your best.”
Looking back on his career, Anil recalled that he had tried out TV show hosting, and enjoyed it and learned from it. “After that I did Night Manager on OTT and learned from that exposure too,” he added.
Asked how he had got into English films and shows, the actor said, “I have done Slumdog Millionaire and Who Wants to Be Millionaire?, the English version of Kaun Banega Crorepati. That was my first opportunity to do an English show. I called up the director Siddhartha [Basu] and tried to learn from the team. You need blessings and encouragement from one and all.”
Anil has gone on record that despite being successful at the many things he has tried, he always experiences a measure of fear when he starts something new. Talking about that, the actor said “This fear keeps me going. Without this, you will never be able to give your best. One should never feel overconfident. I never started any project thinking ‘Yeh toh kuch nahi hai, mere bayen haath ka khel hai.’ It’s only because I set out with that fear that I have been able to reach where I am today.”
Commenting that there are many fantastic, relatable reality shows both in the North and South, he said, “These shows have entertained people nationally and internationally. Amitji [Amitabh Bachchan] has hosted KBC, Salman [Khan] has hosted BB in every season. Kapil Sharma’s comedy show and Karan Johar’s Coffee with Karan have garnered huge eyeballs and received accolades. These shows have left an indelible mark on the minds of audiences and hold a special place in the hearts of everyone.”
The conversation then took a more personal turn. Asked to rate himself as a husband, he said, “I can be better.” And as a dad, “Could have been much better, giving more time to my family. I did my best but owing to my busy work schedules, I feel I could have done better.” Coming to his latest real-life role as grandfather (to his daughter Sonam Kapoor’s son), he said, “Again, I wish I could spend some more time with the little one. They are in London and we live here in India. But thanks to technology we try to interact with the little one on a daily basis.”
Asked about the way his wife sees him, he said humorously, “She is the host and the big boss. Even today if there are guests, I am asked to vacate my room for the guests and settle down in some corner of the house!”
