Harshvardhan Kapoor, the scion of the Kapoor family, has had two releases and a few brand endorsements (the latest for Longines) since his onscreen debut in 2016. While his first film, the much-anticipated Mirzya, failed to make an impact at the box office, his second release, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, was certainly a sleeper hit.
The right script
Now, that the actor has tasted both failure and success, and has also got a fair idea of working behind the scenes (he was an assistant director for Bombay Velvet in 2015), he is looking forward to his next film. The yet-to-be-titled film, a biopic on Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, is in the making, and the young Kapoor is quietly preparing for it. “We are in the process of scripting. I have been very involved with it, unlike my previous two films. It’s based on Bindra’s autobiography, A Shot At History. We are drawing a lot from the book. We are trying to make a film that is very true to his life and we are hoping it doesn’t fall into the trappings of a general Bollywood biopic,” he says.
The actor’s dad, Anil Kapoor, will be playing the role of Bindra’s father in this film. So when we ask if the senior Kapoor is also involved with scripting, Harshvardhan discloses, “If there is something that needs to be read or he needs to give an opinion, he is around. It’s a collaborative process.” What’s interesting to note is the fact that though a star kid, as an actor, junior Kapoor has no qualms about admitting that he still has a lot to learn.“I was 23 when I signed Mirzya. I am 28 today, and I have had only two releases in four years. They have taken time to be made because of the nature of the films. I have learnt a lot about myself, but there’s still tonnes to improve. I have learnt a lot about the audience. I think that’s a constant learning process for me,” says the actor who, like his sister Sonam, is quite active on social media.
Insta hero
A quick glance at his Instagram or Twitter page, and it’s clear that Harshvardhan is someone who likes to respond to his fans and keeps them engaged with his interesting posts on fitness, football and family. He thinks being on social media is today part of an actor’s profile.
“I think for the kind of films I have done, it is important for me to be active on social media. We discovered that the Netflix watching audience of Bhavesh Joshi, were all social media savvy, so I interacted with them. I really like that interaction because you know the kind of people who are watching your films and what they would like to see from you. I like to reach out to my audience and I think social media is a great platform for expression," he signs off.
ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax