His curly hair, stubble, and dreamy eyes make him popular with the fair sex, so much so that the inconsistency of his film career has not really mattered.
Having started out as a video jockey, Aditya Roy Kapur, who turns 32 today (16 November), graduated to films, playing supporting parts before enjoying his finest hour with a starring role in Aashiqui 2 (2013).
Youngest of the Roy Kapur brothers, Aditya was quite active as a kid. Cinestaan.com spoke to older brother Kunaal Roy Kapur (38), who shared some interesting tales about Aditya.
“Look, we don’t have spicy lives," Kunaal said. But that is not to suggest Aditya did not have his share of fun. The brothers all went to the same school, GD Somani Memorial, in Cuffe Parade, south Mumbai.
"There is a large age gap among the three of us," Kunaal Roy Kapur said. "When I was in class V, Siddharth was in class X. Aditya must have been in the first class. I only recollect later anecdotes, once he had grown up."
According to his brother, Aditya was not great at studies but was active in sports. He loved cricket and action films. "He was particularly fond of Jackie Chan, but he also admired Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme." Quite something for an actor best known for playing the doomed lover.
While Kunaal struggled to recall any childhood antics of Aditya, he does vividly remember his kid brother bunking school for a cricket match: “He must have been in class VIII. None of us was aware, but he bunked school to watch a match in a stadium. Someone saw him on television and complained to the class teacher. Inevitably, our parents were called. He was suspended for a few days. Father was very upset but our parents never raised a hand on us.”
The OK Jaanu (2017) actor was never too fond of studies, his brother said: "He used to make excuses to wriggle out of home tuitions. Many a time he cooked up stories, and the teacher believed him.”
A hit with the ladies today, Aditya attracted a lot of female attention in his later years at school. “Because of the age gap, we didn’t spend much time together in school," said the Delhi Belly (2011) actor. "I reckon Aditya became popular with the girls when he must have been in class IX. Though we never discussed these things, but yes, he had his girlfriends.”
As a VJ, Aditya hosted a popular show called Pakao, Bambaiya slang for boring or irritating, depending on context. So, what is the most pakao thing about Aditya? "His inability to answer calls or texts immediately,” said Kunaal. We told him it had been a struggle for us to get a response from Aditya. “Well, we are his family, and he doesn’t respond to us quickly, so what can you expect?” he said, laughing.
And what does Kunaal envy about Aditya? Is it that curly hair? Last we saw, he had cut it. “He has grown it back," his brother said. "But I envy his freedom to do whatever he wants. He travels frequently. I guess that is the advantage of living a bachelor’s life.”
But there is also one quality of Aditya that Kunaal dearly loves: “What I really like about him is his strong faith in people, the way he cares for them. Most siblings would naturally go on different life paths, but we have remained a close family.”
As we wish Aditya Roy Kapoor a happy birthday, we wish the ties that bind the brothers remain just as strong.