Anil Kapoor says he will never have a ‘I have done enough’ moment in his acting career as he knows how to keep the momentum high without compromising on life's other aspects.
The actor whose filmography of four decades boasts of successful entertainers like "Mr India", "Ram Lakhan", "Nayak", "Welcome" and critically acclaimed movies such as "Parinda", "Lamhe", and "Pukar" among, said he enjoys every bit about acting.
"I don’t think there ever will be a time when I would say, ‘I have done enough, I am fed up’. I don’t think so. I enjoy my work, I love it,” Kapoor told PTI in an interview.
“Whatever you are capable of, you have to just raise the bar and do your best and not be delusional about it. Do not overstretch yourself," he said, adding that he avoids doing anything that will affect his family life or health.
"So, I will sacrifice some films which I cannot do,” he said.
Kapoor, who has no formal training in acting, credited watching films, movie sets, and paying attention to how his co-actors perform a scene, for helping him evolve as an actor.
The 66-year-old actor said he has learnt a lot about acting by observing stalwarts like Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Rajnikanth, among others.
"We all have learnt something from them. Each of their films, you see you get entertained and you learn from them,” Kapoor said, adding, “I have worked with all kinds of actors like Paresh Rawal, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Irrfan Khan sahab, who I miss so much. I keep on watching his work. There is a pool of talent, which is so phenomenal, world-class.”
He is equally enamored by the dedication and commitment shown by some of the actors younger than him be it Hrithik Roshan, his co-star from “Fighter”, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan or his son Harshvardhan.
"They all come with different mindsets,” Kapoor added.
Actors of all ages and kinds like Hollywood star Christian Bale and Ranbir Kapoor, with whom he will be seen next in “Animal”, drive him to push himself physically and mentally for a role, he said.
“I met Christian Bale and asked him ‘How he looks so different in every movie?’ He told me. ‘It's all just pain, and you have to go through that pain and never be comfortable’. I understood everything. Amitabh Bachchan sahab is 80-year-old, the work that he has done and is doing, he has been an inspiration. So, all these are extraordinary (people).”
Up next for Kapoor is “Animal”, directed by Sandeep Vanga Reddy of “Kabir Singh” fame and “Fighter” co-starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone.
The actor said he follows his instincts while zeroing down on a movie.
“I just go with my gut, this is a film and these are the people I would love to get involved with. I am excited and nervous for all films big, small. I have to connect emotionally with the role, the script, and people who I am working with,” Kapoor said.
As a producer, the actor has a few projects in pipeline including Abhinav Bindra biopic, which will feature his son Harshvarrdhan Kapoor in the titular role, comedy film “The Crew” featuring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon, an upcoming movie tentatively titled “Thank You for Coming” and two OTT shows.
