"I would love to be negative again" - Sanjay Kapoor

By: Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaFM

Friday, March 31, 2006

"A Raj Kapoor film like Satyam Shivam Sundaram that exploited Zeenat Aman's sensuality didn't work but when, a small film like Julie is a 100% draw from day one, then it is labeled as a mere skin-show film. Isn't that a bit unfair," asks actor Sanjay Kapoor who is awaiting the release of his next film Unns. He further added that a big budget Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar starrer Family didn't work in spite of heavy publicity, but a small three four crore movie like Malamaal Weekly with no big names in it is doing excellent business. "You never know what the public wants," he says.

In a way he justified his game-plan of doing small budget films like Julie, Sauda, Unns, his forthcoming Beach with Hrishita Bhatt and director Sudhakar Bokade's comeback vehicle Why. "Qayamat was a big budget film and it went on to do good business. These days there are two stages of film making. One is the high budget films with maximum publicity and then a smaller three crore film that can't afford to spend another two crores on publicity. But in a smaller film, the probability of producer recovering his cost is higher if the film is well made," says the youngest Kapoor in a family of producers.

It was time to ask something about Unns, his next film that is releasing shortly. "Unns is an Arabic word meaning love. Now, it's not a Yash Chopra or Karan Johar film, so for people to be interested in coming and watching it, we needed an unusual title. It's basically a story of a married couple. I play a husband who loves his wife knowing well that she has a past but is willing to forget it. It is always the woman who compromises, but in Unns, it is the man who is bearing the pain."

Other than Sanjay Kapoor, Unns also stars national award winning Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta as the wife and Juhi Babbar is their common friend who also happens to be a lawyer. So, do we have some skin show in Unns as well? "No, there's nothing of that sort, but yes in my other film Beach you can see some masti and mazaa," he laughs.

Farah Khan recently said that she loves the Paaya at Sanjay Kapoor's house. "Farah is a great friend. We meet very often and since we all enjoy food, its good fun." You have influential friends, ever thought of asking for any roles. "One should never expect from your friends. For if you carry the baggage of your worries and expectations, then, you'd stop having any friends. I don't expect any favors from my friends."

Any plans of you and Anil coming together for a film produced by Boney? "We would love to if there's a proper script." And will you turn a producer! "I would want to produce at some stage..." Any more negative roles for you? "I enjoyed both Qayamat and Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche. Would love to be negative again...." Finally, having acted with stars like Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala and Tabu in hits like Raja and Chupa Rustam, how does it feel acting with a Neha Dhupia? "Madhuri was a big star when she agreed to do a film with me, so in a way, I am playing the senior part when I act in a film starring Neha Dhupia."