ANILANIL KAPOOR’SKAPOOR’S DAYSDAYS WITHOUTWITHOUT ENDEND THE ACTOR WANTS TO CHANGE THE WAY INDIAN TELEVISION WORKS, WITH A LICENSED ADAPTATION OF THE HIT AMERICAN SHOW 24. AND, HE IS WILLING TO LOSE HIS SLEEP OVER IT. BY EKTA MOHTA

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DABBOO RATNANI

STYLED BY RHEA KAPOOR

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der the weight of make-up. In fact, a lead character who doesn’t sleep at all. AnilKapoor Sipping his beer, Rensil D’Silva, the show’s bespectacled writer, looks out for the little guy. At the launch of the trailer of his upcom- tells me, “See, there are things that work brilliantly in the American ing show, 24, reporter Sumit from India TV asks him, “Why have you series. We’ve kept them. But, you can’t have an adaptation that’s a named your character Jai Singh Rathore? Why not Lakhan Singh cut-paste job. So, there’s a huge difference between theirs and ours Rathore?” Even as the words leave his mouth, he knows it isn’t the after the halfway mark.” (When I glance at a few sheaves of the script, brightest cookie in the jar. His tissue-thin voice softly folds into it- a single dialogue between two characters at a dance bar illustrates self by the time he gets to the end. Kapoor gamely answers him, but, the difference: “Shaant gadadhar bheem, shaant.”) when the audience continues to laugh, he says, “A round of applause “The illusion of real time must be kept alive, which is really tough for Sumit, please. He does everyone’s work at press conferences. A writing,” says D’Silva. “At the time of inception, we actually drew a big round of applause.” Kapoor looks out map and figured how fast we could reach for the little guy. Because that’s what big places: from Goregaon to Wadala to Wor- guys do. li Village. And, we’ve cheated just once, He also looks out for the big guys. At “THE SHOW 24 IS in the 19th episode. In his character’s cir- the same conference, he plucks film critic VERY INTENSE. MY cumstances, anyone would’ve had a ner- Khalid Mohammed from the sixth row vous breakdown. Because we’ve learnt and seats him between his daughters, FITNESS TRAINING from what they’ve done [in LA], his beard Sonam and Rhea, in the first. He talks to HAS BEEN THE shadow grows, his tiredness increases, trade analyst Komal Nahta for ten min- KEY. I STARTED his eyes start to droop, his clothes get utes about why they’re presenting a five- dirty, he has to wash his face — it’s all a minute trailer. He smiles that big smile PREPARING AT LEAST little more real,” says D’Silva. that pushes his cheeks up like Mickey SIX MONTHS BEFORE It sounds odd to say this, but, on pa- Mouse’s. He poses with Tisca Chopra, SHOOTING. MORE per, the Indian 24 sounds as good as the who plays his wife in 24, and Mandira THAN A YEAR AGO, I original. Credit for that should go to the Bedi, who plays his work-wife. He gives one smart thing Kapoor did. He brought a crazy number of sound bites. He hugs STARTED TRAINING in two smart guys: D’Silva (Rang De Ba- his co-workers. He works the crowd like a SUBCONSCIOUSLY" santi, Kurbaan) and Abhinay Deo (Delhi priest in a new parish. Belly). By the time I sit down to chat with Clearly, for Kapoor, there is a lot riding Deo, 24’s director, he’s gone through at on the success of 24, the licensed adapta- least ten other interviewers. His words tion of the hit American show. sound as practised and insincere as a conman’s. So, even though he The international 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland, is an hour-by- says the right things and makes the right noises, I know I have to visit hour breakdown of the longest day in the lead’s life. Between a terror- the sets of 24 to see through the hype. ist threat, a treacherous colleague, a dead boss, a furious wife, and, worst of all, a hormonal teenage daughter, he has to come out sane 24’s fictional Anti-Terrorist Unit and alive. Sutherland plays Jack Bauer, federal agent of the fictional has been set up in a grey godown, a couple of kilometres from the Los-Angeles-based Counter Terrorist Unit. Using real-time narra- city’s new business hub, Bandra-Kurla Complex, where the buildings tion, each episode follows one hour in the life of Bauer, as he attempts shine like they have been scrubbed with spittle. to thwart major terrorist attacks on the United States. While the The first time I see it, the set is as dull as a cemetery. The sec- series finale was broadcast on May 24, 2010, the Fox network an- ond time, it’s as lively as a college canteen. Twenty-year-olds discuss nounced the return of a 12-episode series earlier this year, titled 24: girlfriends, or the lack of girlfriends, in between takes. Giant orange Live Another Day, which is scheduled to go on in May next year. watches and neon pink shoes is office wear. And, every man around Anil Kapoor played Kamistanian president Omar Hassan in the seems to have a philosophical beard. eighth season of the American series. Set in New York, the central Kapoor, who looks a lot younger than a man his age should (he is theme of the season revolved around Bauer contending with assas- 56!), is happy that the crew’s so fresh-faced. He says, “Young people sination threats made during a peace conference between fictional carry a different kind of energy, a different set of ideas. There’s more US president Allison Taylor and the equally fictional president of the I can learn from them than they can learn from me. What happens as Black belt by Louis Vuitton, price on equally fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan. you get older is, you get so involved and sucked into all your responsi- request; Orange silk The Indian adaptation follows a similar plot. It has cameos from bilities in life that you read less, you watch less, you stop interacting tie by Louis Vuitton, price on request; Anupam Kher and Shabana Azmi. Plus, there is Neil Bhoopalam, with friends and you get into a comfort zone. If you suddenly have Solid white shirt Black wool knit high- who plays a youngish leader and prime ministerial aspirant, gritty young blood in your workspace, they expose you to newer things.” by Thomas Pink, Rs neck slim sweater by 6,690; Suit by Louis Mumbai streets, and Rathore, a lead character who doesn’t sleep un- Again, for a man his age, he’s also quite hip. He’s on Twitter now Dior Homme; black Philippe, Rs 9,995; jeans, sunglasses, shoes, Fashino Oxfords by actor’s own Trèsmode, Rs 7,000

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(with refreshingly decent grammar), he wears leopard-print reading have. I’ve made a graph: where he was born, what he studied, what glasses and he casually drops f-bombs while talking to his kids. was his army background, which missions he’s undertaken.” He then It helps to have worked with some of the biggest names in inter- repeats something that I’ve heard in some of his previous interviews. national film. About Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille), who “People didn’t have negative things to say about me earlier, so, they directed him in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, he says, “The said that Anil works too hard. Now, that’s become an asset, and it’s way Brad explains scenes is completely worked in my favour. You have to have different from all the other directors I’ve patience. You have to keep on working worked with because of his background and not be affected by what anyone’s say- in animation. For example, during dub- ing. Now, everybody’s very hard-working, bing, I was rendering my lines in differ- “FOR JAI SINGH sincere and committed. There are work- ent ways. And, suddenly, he comes up to RATHORE, I’VE DONE shops, there’s preparation, and every- me and says, ‘Listen, don’t imagine you’re ALL MY RESEARCH. thing is well-thought out. When I used wearing a pair of jeans or a cotton shirt. to do that earlier, people would say I in- Just imagine you’re wearing silk pyjamas. I MET THE ANTI- terfere too much. Now, the person who How will your voice sound in silk?’ A lot TERRORIST SQUAD doesn’t do that is the odd man out.” For depends on how you sit, how you feel, CHIEF. I’VE MADE 24, in particular, he’s made sure he’s sur- what clothes you’re wearing. When I was A GRAPH: WHERE HE rounded by such professionals. Such as doing my costume trial for MI4, I learnt D’Silva and Deo. so much about shirts. The collar, the but- WAS BORN, WHAT “I had many directors and writers in tons, the detailing. The colour can’t be to- HE STUDIED AND mind and I was interacting with all of tally white. They treat it so it looks better WHAT HIS ARMY them. But, when I saw Delhi Belly, I felt on screen. They tell you how your collar Abhinay was the right person. The way should be under a suit, how much of your BACKGROUND WAS" he’d pitched the actors, the atmosphere sleeve should be seen from under your he’d created, I felt I was watching an jacket, how your buttons should blend international film. Then, I saw his com- in. It all matters.” It’s sweet in a way, this mercials and I was convinced. When I crush of his on Hollywood. approached him for 24, he was already a fan. I didn’t have to sell it to “When I was shooting in LA for 24, I said, this part of Hollywood I him. The hunt for the writer was tougher because they all felt the di- want to bring to India. This scale, lighting, performances and profes- rector would get all the credit. In India, everyone thinks the director sionalism. There it was like a film, or more than a film. Where we lack does everything. I had Rensil in mind, but I was scared to approach is in the writing department, especially for screenplays in the thriller him because I’d turned down one of his films. But he was sweet. He format. We have some great content in our country, but the thriller was excited about doing it.” format’s a science that those guys are brilliant at,” says Kapoor. The crew of 24 needs to clock 46 pages an episode. A unit member tells me that when they’d started, they were only able to finish three Kapoor’s into his fourth decade to four pages a day, because they wouldn’t compromise on anything. in Bollywood now. And, on Jai Singh Rathore, he says he’s worked Now, they’ve set the pace and are averaging seven to ten pages. The harder than any other role in his career. “Real time is very intense. number of scenes has already run into four digits. Kapoor adds, “I’m My fitness training has been the key. I started preparing at least six anxious, I’m nervous. And I hope I can live up to expectations. My to eight months before shooting. But, more than a year ago, I started ambition is beyond [the housewives]. I want to get younger people training subconsciously. I started doing yoga. Then, I realised I who don’t watch television involved. There are producers who want to needed more strength and I had to look like I could do physical start films, and they’re patiently waiting for me to finish this. I always combat. So, I started weight training with a special diet. I’ve been have butterflies in my stomach before facing the camera. I always as disciplined and honest as I can be with it.” While saying this, he feel, will I be able to deliver?” (That sounds like false modesty, but a offers me a half-eaten sandwich. It doesn’t feel right to accept it now. little later, I see him pacing up and down, repeating his lines to air.) Apart from the shedding of body fat, the project has demanded I ask D’Silva if the show’s success would trigger a flood of adap- other sacrifices. “I’ve had to convince people in three places: in LA, in tations. “24 offers ample opportunity to write better scenes. If it India and in my home. I told them that if I start this, I won’t be able works, then even good original content gets a shot. Now, we’re think- to give you as much time as I’d like. It’s not only the viewer who gets ing about subsequent seasons and figuring out if we can do a nuclear addicted to 24. I’ve become a 24-oholic. When I’m shooting, I need strike in Mumbai.” a break. And, when I have a break, I want to go back to shooting. My It is time for the next shot. The place becomes still. Kapoor strides wife says she's lost me to 24.” purposefully into the scene, frowns and delivers his lines. He looks He smiles and continues, “For Jai Singh Rathore, I’ve done all my tired. Like his 12-hour shift is now bleeding into the 13th. Like too research. I met the Anti-Terrorist Squad chief. I have a few friends much has to be done in too little time. He looks like he’s had a really who are officers there. I’m still in touch with them for any queries I long day.

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