Whether it is comedy, horror, or any other genre, actor Kunaal Roy Kapur takes each role as a challenge. The actor shot to the limelight with Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor starrer Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in 2013, however, his films like Azhar (2016), and Delhi Belly (2013) made him critics’ favourite. His film Tribhanga, which was released on Netflix last year with Kajol made him a household name. After films and OTT, Kunaal has forayed into a teleplay titled Shadyantra by Zee Theatre.
Directed by Ganesh Yadav, this murder mystery is streaming on Tata Play Theatre and is also available on Zee5. The star-studded play is a suspense thriller packed with psychological intrigue, which sees Kunaal as a cop, who goes about his job without drawing too much attention to himself. The play also marks television actor Hina Khan’s debut in theatre as she plays the protagonist Natasha along with Aashram fame Chandan Roy Sanyal in a pivotal role.
Kunaal comments on the 'Villain vs hero'
Playing a cop for the first time, Kunal shares that he has tried to make the character more sensitive with a certain depth and nuances which is unusual for any mainstream cinema project. In fact, as an artiste, Kunaal enjoys playing an antagonist. "I would pick a villain character. There's a saying in the industry that the heroes can be as good as the villain they have to fight with. The better and stronger the villain, the hero ends up being heroic. It's challenging to play the negative role," said the actor.
The Shadyantra actor is excited to see how teleplay evolves
Marking his debut in a teleplay Kunaal appreciates the idea of the digitisation of theatre. “Getting into the digital space is an attempt to make them experience the wealth of writing we have. I love watching live performances from the theatre seats but I am now waiting to see how teleplay shapes the field and explores its way there,” shared the Radhe Shyam actor, who credits his performance and preparation for Shadyantra to the director of the play. “I was impressed when he (Ganesh Yadav) role-played every character of the play. That session touched me as an artiste,” he recalled.
Challenges and difficulties one needs to face and win as an artiste
Apart from Hindi cinema and teleplay, the actor is also active in the Telugu film industry. With his debut film Radhe Shyam starring Prabhas and Pooja Hegde, Kunaal thinks that aspiring actors should learn one South Indian language. “It was a difficult film as I had to learn Telugu. I tried my best but we had to dub it for the better. I think every acting school should teach one South Indian language to aspiring actors as it can help them in their career,” said the actor, who is a sports enthusiast and a fan of Argentina’s star footballer Lionel Messi.
Kunaal is a Lionel Messi fan just like you
Kunaal was in Qatar for the Semi-Finals between Argentina and Croatia last week with brother and actor Aditya Roy Kapoor and Ananya Panday. “All three of us love watching sports and sometimes when we get the opportunity to witness it together from the match venue, we just grab it,” he said and predicted that France may win the title, “I love Messi and his game for Argentina, but it seems that France will win the title," concluded the actor.
