Arjun Kapoor: I am not conventional and have got accepted by people

The Tevar actor says the current generation of actors in Bollywood is not interested in the number game

The 29-year-old star feels ranking of actors is subjective so they should not be constantly compared to each other. ”We are not horses that we will always be in a race. We are not interested in becoming number one, two or three. These rankings are subjective. 10 people will like one actor, others will like some different actor.
“We are new. We are enjoying just being a part of this profession. We have got an opportunity to be in Bollywood, we are using that and working hard. We can only think about the number game after sustaining for 10-12 years. Media should not compare us,” Arjun said on the sidelines of Agenda Aaj Tak 2014. The Ishaqzaade star said audience has started accepting unconventional-looking actors, which has helped him gain a fan base.

“Times have changed. Unconventional-looking actors are accepted today, I am not conventional and have got accepted by people. Conventional has become boring. This is an exciting time today. We can express our attitude, personality and conviction without any hesitation. That is how the current generation is. This has affected Bollywood too,” Arjun said. The actor added that nowadays real characters are written, which are not larger-than-life, unlike the old times when there was a certain image of a Bollywood hero.

According to Arjun, relatable characterisation is one of the reasons why actors don’t have the same stardom as veteran superstars today. ”People’s mindsets have changed. I am a very regular-looking guy so people feel I am one of them. People should be able to find a connection with the actors. ”We are not projected larger-than-life, we are regular people in extraordinary situations, which youth likes more. It does not like us flaunting stardom. They rather see relatable characters. Maybe this is why it will take us longer to reach status of stars of previous generation,” he said.

Praising the three superstars of Bollywood — Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir Khan, Arjun said they are case studies in themselves. ”The Khans are anomalies. They are case studies. They are surviving in the industry for past 27 years. They are doing better and better. ”What Shah Rukh has achieved in Happy New Year in terms of physique… At this age, people are reinventing their body, acting. Salman has ‘repeaked’ at his peak. Aamir does one movie in three years and people decide that they will watch it. Such things happen once in 1000 years,” the young actor said.