EXCLUSIVE: “I was a Bollywood-consumed child from Juhu-Lokhandwala; I believed I knew the audience of India” – Arjun Kapoor on how Ishaqzaade changed his mindset

June 28, 2022 - 3:46 PM IST

Arjun Kapoor completed 10 years in the film industry in May 2022. The actor had debuted in Yash Raj Films' Ishaqzaade and starred alongside Parineeti Chopra. Ten years down the line and facing several ups and downs, the actor recently talked about how his perception of cities in India had changed after his first film. The actor had shot extensively in Uttar Pradesh for over 70 days.

EXCLUSIVE: “I was a Bollywood-consumed child from Juhu-Lokhandwala; I believed I knew the audience of India” – Arjun Kapoor on how Ishaqzaade changed his mindset

During a chat with Bollywood Hungama, the actor said, "Main aaj bhi kehta hoon ki main kabhi UP bhi nahi gaya tha. Main toh Juhu mein pala bada hoon. Mujhe toh pata bhi nahi tha ki duniya kaisi hoti hai. Maine ek script padhi thi aur ek assumption that joh bade shehron ke logon ko hota hai ki dusre shehron mein aisa hota hoga. I didn't know India. Main Bollywood consumed Juhu, Lokhandwala ka child tha. At 22-23, when I met Habib sir, i thought ki mujhe pata hai Hindustan ki audience kya hai aur Hindustan ke log kaise hote hai. When I finally did the research and went there and shot the film, that attitude, the languge, the way of talking, woh joh unhone pakda tha, he gave me a connect to India and that film made me realise ki meri audience kya hai. The film has aged beautifully. The film is something, even today if you see, that story exists. Aisa nahi hai ki woh uss samay valid thi aur aaj nahi. Saath mein joh romance tha woh kitna fresh tha; joh twist tha woh aaj bhi naya lagta hai [I never even went to UP. I have grown up in Juhu. I had never seen the world. I had read a script and had an assumption which people from big cities have about small towns. I didn't know India. I was a Bollywood-consumed child from Juhu-Lokhandwala. At 22-23, when I met Habib sir, I believed I knew who was the audience in India. That film made me realise who is my real audience. The film has aged beautifully. The film is something like this, even today if you see that story is present. Not that it was valid then and not today. The romance together was so fresh; The twist that was there seems new even today. When I finally researched and went there and shot the film, that attitude, the language, the way of talking, what he was sure of, he connected me with India and that film made me realize what my audience was.]"

Furthermore, the actor said, "I think Parineeti had one of the best roles written on paper. Aapne kaun si ladki ka introduction gun ke saath dekhi hai, woh katta kharidne pahuchi hai, she fires a bullet at her own father eventually. It's a film which I feel was a big game-changer in a way in the perception of a young couple being launched also. We were very scruffy. Chhote sheher ki kahani relevant ho rahi thi par itne bade paimane pe nahi. Then the Bareilly Ki Barfi and others started happening much after. I feel Ishaqzaade is a very prominent film [I think Parineeti had one of the best roles ever written on paper. Which girl you've seen introduced with a gun, she reaches the gun, she finally fires a shot at her own father. It's a film that I think was a huge game-changer in a way in the notion of a young couple being launched as well. We were very scruffy. The small-town story was getting relevant but not on such a large scale. Then Bareilly Ki Barfi and others started happening much later. I think Ishqzaade is a very prominent film]."

He continued, "What a co-actor like Parineeti to work with. [She is a] firebrand. Habib sir writing [was amazing]."