OK Jaanu is very different from Aashiqui 2, says Aditya Roy Kapur

Aashiqui 2 turned out to be a surprise hit in 2013. The pair Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor was also highly appreciated in the musical. The duo is finally back together for the second time in Shaad Ali’s OK Jaanu, which is the official remake of Mani Rathnam’s Ok Kanmani (2015). In a friendly chat with Cinestaan.com, Kapur speaks about the film and the hits and misses of his career.

OK Jaanu is nearing release. What are you feeling?
I am feeling nervous, excited and anxious. I just want everyone to watch the film. I want the next few days to go very fast.

Your last film Fitoor (2016) didn’t succeed. If a film doesn’t work at the box-office, how much of a toll does it take on an actor?
It’s important that you go through a phase of introspection where you wonder what went wrong. There are so many processes that go into making a film that it could have gone wrong anywhere. Sometimes, you don’t find the answer. But it’s important to introspect. It’s also important to know that a film doesn’t do well only for one reason and also doesn’t do badly for one reason. As an actor, you should be truthful with yourself and know where you went wrong. That’s important. But also don’t beat yourself up about it. Maybe other people have had a part to play in it. 

It’s an insecure profession by nature because you don’t know where your next job is coming from sometimes. You have to be called by someone to be employed. So, it can sometimes play with your self-confidence. But it’s important to have belief in yourself. If you have given your best, that’s all you can do, right? For example, right now we have done whatever we could and it’s out of our hands. But it does hurt (when a film doesn’t do well). 

In OK Jaanu what have you and Shraddha Kapoor done to make sure the audience isn’t reminded of your characters in Aashiqui 2?
It’s a very different film from Aashiqui 2. This is what excited both of us. This was one of the reasons why we felt this is a nice film to do and we felt like we won’t be repeating ourselves. We always have had a good camaraderie off screen. We share a good sense of humour. We felt like it was a nice film to explore that side of our equation. It is a love story but it doesn’t deal with a deeper and darker side of love. It deals with different shades of love. We didn’t have  to think of doing things differently. The script demanded that it happened very organically. 

Why did Mani Ratnam not direct this film?
Now, this is one conversation we have never had. I think Mani sir and Shaad (Ali) share their own equation. Shaad has already remade one of Mani sir’s films (Alai Payuthey as Saathiya). So, I can’t speak for Mani sir or Shaad and I don’t know why it didn’t happen. 

Was it a planned move to cast both of you together?
I think it happened firstly because Shaad felt he saw both of us in those roles. And then it was an added attraction that we have had a hit film before, which is always the case when you have a couple that has worked before. 

How was it working with a veteran like Naseeruddin Shah? He is an acting school in himself. 
Yes, whenever we used to go on the sets, we felt we are going to school (laughs). Just to observe him; he would come on the sets absolutely prepared. He would have completely done his homework. Just by the thing he would say, you would feel, ‘Oh God.’ He knows everything that is going on and what the scene is about. And he also understands that being young actors, we might be intimidated by him, which might work against a scene or the film. So, he would try and make us comfortable and get us to ease up. 

You are mostly seen playing a lover. Do you see yourself playing an action character or an antagonist?
I would love to experiment with different genres. I would love to do an action film. I grew up watching action films. I would love to pick up a gun, shoot the bad guy and get the girl. I would love to do an out-and-out comedy. I don’t want to restrict myself and think that I am a romantic hero and not experiment at this stage of my career when I am exploring myself as an actor. But I do feel this role (OK Jaanu) is something I have not done before. The last three films I have done are different types of characters. In the capacity of a leading man, I have never done a light-hearted romantic film. So, I think this might be something new that all of you might find. 

Why do you come up with just one film a year?
I also want to see myself more, honestly. I guess I would love to work more. I am the happiest when I am on a film set. That’s when life takes care of itself. But I think I need to start liking more scripts. Maybe I am too choosy. Maybe I need to jump into something even if it’s just 60% there. You can’t find perfect things every time. Maybe I need to learn a lesson.