FILM INTERVIEW: SONAM KAPOOR

Bollywood Sweetheart Starts 2012 with ‘The Italian Job’ Remake, 'Players'

By: Simran Mody

January 3, 2012

A few years ago, Hollywood's F. Gary Gray assembled some big names in Mark Wahlberg, Donald Sutherland, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, and Mos Def to headline the remake of The Italian Job. It would only be fitting for Bollywood to mimic the same in its remake of the American remake. Joining Bollywood heartthrob Sonam Kapoor on the big screen in Abbas-Mustan's Players are Hindi film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Johnny Lever, and Omi Vaidya. As the film tries to set the tone for what Bollywood hopes will be a thrilling 2012, Ms. Kapoor hopes to continue her escalation to the top of Hindi film’s list of best actresses.

With Players opening on January 6th, Ms. Kapoor talks about her ability to hold her own opposite multiple film stars, the arc of her film character, working with her sister Rhea Kapoor, the influence her father Anil Kapoor has on her film career, and the donning of a super hot bikini opposite fitness buff Ms. Basu.

Simran Mody: Players has quite the star-studded cast, but you have had experience standing out amidst so many big names. Is this film going to be more of the same for you?

Sonam Kapoor: I have always been the lead in my multi-star films. Abhishek (Bachchan) and I were the leads in Delhi 6; Thank You was about me and Akshay (Kumar); Aisha was all me; and even now, Players is about Abhishek and I. The onus is on me as a lead. But at the same time, there are so many supporting people in the film who help you make it a better product.

SM: This film is a remake of The Italian Job, which was itself made at least twice in Hollywood. You are playing the rebellious lead in Players, which is quite different from your other roles. Describe your rendition of Naina to us.

SK: My character, Naina, resembles what I am in my real life. She is rebellious, but at the same time she is nice. Just out of college, she is a computer whiz-kid who agrees to be part of a gold heist, where she has to hack the system to get valuable information, just because she is crazy for Abhishek in the film.

SM: Interestingly enough, you had an opportunity to work with your sister, Rhea Kapoor, on set. She worked with you on wardrobe. What was that like?

SK: I feel that Rhea has done a fabulous job in the film. Her garments have done wonders to my character. She has understood my character quite well and has designed clothes accordingly.

SM: Speaking of wardrobe, both you and Bips wore bikinis in Players. How sexy will you look, and what kind of training did you have to undertake in order to look so good?

SK: This year, my audience will see me in a sexy body. I had to undergo a particular weight training for Players. I am also taking classes for Power and Vikram yoga because I want to have the best body.

SM: Getting back to your persona, while you have traditionally portrayed the girl-next-door character in so many films, in Players, you stick it to The Man, going so far as to flash a middle finger on camera. That has caused a stir with the Censor Board. Is this a change in persona for you?

SK: I don’t believe in censorship, so whether they like it or not, I really don’t care about it. I just want people to come and see my film. Showing a middle finger is a part of today's youth. I think it is part of our language. It is part of your lingo. We abuse when we have a normal conversation with our friends. I don’t believe anything should be censored; it is crazy, especially when it comes to art, films … especially when you live in India where freedom of speech and expression is our basic right.

SM: What are your thoughts on the Censor Board initially okaying the middle finger shot, but then later asking the producers to blur it out?

SK: I think it is double standards and being hypocritical. Its like, "Oh my god, she did this." I am just saying it is a normal thing; when I started doing it, I never thought of it. When guys would bother me while I was in college, I used to flip my finger. I think it is a normal lingo.

SM: Your father, Anil Kapoor, was just featured in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. How has your father, who played an instrumental role in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and is now going to play Jack Bauer in the Indian remake of 24 -- influenced your career? Do you have a hard time escaping his shadow?

SK: I am here because of my father. I am not one of those star-kids who say you don't know how hard I have worked and that it has nothing to do with my father. My work has everything to do with my father. People treat me with respect because I am Anil Kapoor’s daughter. I am proud of him. It is unfair to my father's hard work to say it has nothing to do with him. He has been in the industry for 30 years and he has worked for his children, and if we don't bear the fruits of his hard work, then who will?

Viacom 18's 'Players' opens worldwide on January 6, 2012.