When I land at Tusshar Kapoor’s new bungalow by mistake, his Man Friday offers to seat me behind him on his scooter and drop me at Jeetendra’s old bungalow Krishna at Juhu around lunch time where I meet Tusshar Kapoor who welcomes me profusely and insists that I have lunch before I start interviewing him. Tusshar gave me a no holds barred intimate and exclusive interview where he talks about various things including his son Lakshya, parents Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor and his journey as an actor for the last 17 years. Incidentally I had taken his interview when he had made his debut with Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai way back in 2001
What is your role in Golmaal Again?
As in the earlier version of the franchise, I play the role of Lucky in the fourth installment of Golmaal called Golmaal Again too. Rohit Shetty has not at all fidgeted with the character. Lucky has a lot of masti in him. He is very shararti and does not like being called a bechara because he is mute.
In what way did you change your approach to the character in Golmaal Again this time?
Luckily Rohit gives me something very different each time I am offered the film. In the first of the Golmaal series, I played a comic character full of mischief whereas in the second part, an element of mischievousness was in built in Lucky’s character. In the third part, Lucky is a little bit of a rowdy and also sweetly street smart which made it slightly difficult for me to play. In the third part of the installment I played a little bit of a mawali. The difference this time in Golmaal Again is that Lucky has been made more real.
How is Rohit Shetty as a director?
Rohit Shetty is still as passionate as he was when he was directing the first installment. The best thing about Rohit is that he works like a best and is a workaholic. He has a lot of leadership qualities and has not lost his hunger for proving to be the best. He knows how to get the best out of an actor and though he is harsh as far as his work is concerned, he is at the same time also soft too.
Though nepotism is quite prevalent in the film industry, what made you decide to make your bow with an outside film like Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai instead of asking your dad to launch a film for you?
My education in the USA made me very independent and confident of myself. In fact, I owed it to myself to prove myself without any sort of family backing or piggy backing on my dad’s fame. I felt that I should be somebody first before I ask my own folks to launch a film with me.
Would you deny that you got offers only because you are Jeetendra’s son?
I do not deny that I got the offer to act in Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai. Because of dad’s name, it was easier for me to get an entry inside Bollywood especially as people knew that I am Jeetendra’s son. With due respect to my dad, though could get a break Initially, I had to prove myself or else I would not have been able to get foothold in the industry. Luckily my first film was a hit but there are other star sons who were not as lucky as I was in the sense that their debut films did not run and they were relegated to the sidelines.
Do you mean to say that nepotism does not exist within the film industry?
Isn’t nepotism there outside the film indysry? Why does the media only single us star sons out? It is the outsiders who blame nepotism for their failure to succeed. Isn’t there nepotism also in politics, music and even business?
Which are your five best films as an actor, according to you?
I would say that my five best films till today in the past seventeen years are Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai, Golmaal, Golmaal 3, Kya Kool Hai Hum and Khakhi, besides Golmaal Again.
What is the reason that you have not done as many films in your career like say Akshay Kumar?
I do not work for just money. If I work for only money and churn out bad films, I will only end up overexposing myself and my brand value will go lower. If my films do not work at the box office, it will automatically affect my salability and I will then be forced to wait for a really good film to bail me out. There has been a lull in my career because my last films did not do well at all.
Don’t you think that in today’s scenario, you will be out of mind if you are out of sight, as an actor?
Definitely I do not subscribe to this viewpoint especially since I am constantly in the eyes of the audience because of exposure on TV when every other day a film of mine is being telecast.
Do you regret not being a part of the rat race today?
I have absolutely no regrets at all in the way my career has taken shape till date. I realize that as far as my career is concerned, I have made my own share of mistakes but they have only helped me become stronger and also given me more confidence to conduct myself and my career. It has given me more endurance power to survive the ups and downs or I’d have become mad.
In what way did your BBA degree at the Stephen M Ross School of Business help you as an actor?
The degree I got has helped me in general to be a stronger person and being a part of the film industry has made me strong. My education gave me the skills to manage and market myself as a good business person. In a business school and learn what life is. I was never exposed to business education earlier.
What made you decide to be a single parent to Lakshya at such a young age?
Look here. I have never been married. I felt that time is running out and when I met Prakash Jha he suggested that being a single parent was a good idea and I jumped in. It does not mean that I do not believe in the institution of marriage. No one should marry at any cost because one has to marry. I know my priorities. My child is my priority. If I fall in love with a girl tomorrow who does not mind being a mother to Lakshya, I will bring her home as my wife but if a girl does not approve of my child, I would rather be a single parent than marry her.
How would you describe Lakshya?
Lakshya is a smile baby. He is naughty and wants to play all the time. I know how to change his nappies and also put him to sleep when it is time at night. I play a lot with him. I try to read whatever book I can lay my hands on children and I have covered a lot of areas. As a father though in the beginning I was very possessive about Lakshya, I am not anymore as I want him to develop his own in built immunity.
Is Lakshya showing signs of becoming the third generation actor in your family?
I took Lakshya,who is now a year and a half old to the outdoor shooting fo Golmaal Returns. Tabu who used to play a lot with him and after the shooting was over, and Lakshya have become great friends. Strangely even at this age, Lakshya has this habit of looking into the mirror and checking himself up. Though he has the genes to be an actor and the making of the germs, it is far too early to say what the future has in store for Lakshya. In the last 17 years,I have become more focused on my work now.I am more confident and less shy in front of people and much more involved. Like old wine, I have improved from Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai to Golmaal Again.
What have you learnt from your father Jeetendra?
The biggest virtue that I have learnt from my father is patience. I learnt how to deal with the highs and lows from my dad. I have learnt how to treat failure as well as success equally from him and not get caught up with them.Caravan, Waris, Parichay, Mawaali and Farz are my five favorite films of my father. I am abreast of the trade news like my father and uncle Ramesh Sippy and feel that what ails the trade today is the fact that people are making elite movies to please the niche audiences and end up alienating the desi audiences by feeding them with rehashes of Korean and South European films instead of catering to the Pan India audiences and making films like Judwaa 2 and Golmaal Again.
