Zahan Kapoor, grandson of the late Shashi Kapoor and son of Kunal Kapoor, marked his big screen debut with Hansal Mehta’s controversial film Faraaz. Based on the Bangladesh terror attacks that happened in 2016 at a cafe in Dhaka, Zahan plays the titular role in the film. In an exclusive chat with The Free Press Journal, Zahan opens up about his journey to become an actor, working with Hansal Mehta, and more.
Talking about his journey so far, Zahan shares, "While growing up, I never thought of being an actor. I was much more interested in sports and even dedicated my life to it back then. I was fortunate enough to get introduced to horses, and I started riding at the age of 10. I was passionate about them, and then I started playing polo and travelled around countries as a professional. But there was always a creative bug inside me. I loved doodling as a kid and fell in love with cinema as an audience member. My dad used to take me to a movie theatre and I used to be fascinated by the world on screen when lights used to go down."
A still from the film |
"Although, I never had awareness of the work, skill, and craft. I started enjoying the writing during my school plays and skits, but I never took it seriously. When I was only around 16 or 17, I was assisting, and my aunt recommended me to someone. My dad put me in his ad crew. I learned a lot about the things behind the camera, such as editing, shot breakdown, etc. I was assisting Sunil Shanbag at a theatre workshop; he encouraged me to act, and that’s when the bug bit me," Zahan adds.
While Zahan debuted in the most unconventional way with a film like Faraaz, he feels that putting tonnes of producer money at stake isn’t the right thing to do. He says, "I don’t feel it was okay for any producer to launch a rank newcomer like me in the most conventional and heroic way. He can't expect someone like me to do all the formulaic things on screen and still make an impact because of his celebrity. God forbid, if that doesn’t work, you are labelled as a flop star and completely dismissed from the league. I chose Faraaz because it had a good story and had nothing to do with scale or genre. Being directed by such a talented filmmaker as Hansal Mehta, sir, is such a blessing. As a team, we never made this film for a specific outcome."
Zahan reveals that he is the only actor in the third generation of Kapoor family to act in Prithvi theatre. Sharing further on this, he concludes, "We all have our unique strengths and versions of telling our stories. I was aware of my legacy, responsibilities and obligations. I am very proud that I have begun the journey as my grandparents did with theatre. Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan are extremely talented actors but Prithvi theatre and our films are greater than all of us."
