We like to be brothers more than colleagues: Kunaal Roy Kapur

We like to be brothers more than colleagues: Kunaal Roy Kapur

After playing comic characters in a couple of films, Kunaal Roy Kapur will be seen in an intense role in debutant director Dhwanil Mehta’s The Final Exit. The film also stars Archana Shastry, Elena Kazan, Reyhna Malhotra and Scarlett Wilson. 

“The Final Exit is a supernatural thriller-cum-horror story. I play this character who is disillusioned with the world. He gets stuck in a tricky situation and can’t get out of it,” says Kunaal while promoting the film, which is releasing on September 22.  

This is Kunaal’s first attempt at the horror and supernatural genre and the reason why he signed the film was that he wanted to try something different. “Generally I am known as a comedy actor. When Dhwanil offered me the film, I got attracted to it because it is not in my comfort zone and also people don’t expect me to break away from my conventional style much. It would also be a surprise for the audience to see a different kind of casting, almost a mismatch, and that would kind of create an interest,” says the actor who has starred in films like Delhi Belly, Nautanki Saala, Action Jackson and others. 

The actor is impressed with the debutant director and says that not once did he feel that The Final Exit was Dhwanil’s first film. “He vision was clear since the day he approached me. He had come to me with a storyboard and he exactly knew what he wanted.”

So does he himself believe in the supernatural, we ask. To which Kunaal replies, “Like others, I am fascinated about it because so much has been written about supernatural activities. It’s part of our culture to be fascinated by anything we can’t explain. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I know that there are certain things in this world which cannot be explained.”

Horror as a genre is not too often attempted by Bollywood filmmakers nor are these films a huge success at the box-office. On the other hand, Hollywood horror films continue to make huge money at Indian box-office. “I think the audience watches horror films to get spooked and scared. They will watch Hollywood films because they deliver it. You can get the thrills at the sound and filmmaking level. Having said that, it’s something that Dhwanil has focused heavily on, while making this film. He has kept the Indian context and philosophy deeply rooted but tried to keep the feel of a Hollywood film,” he says. 

He points out that the success of films like The Conjuring and Annabelle series shows that the genre has a huge fan following. “But somehow the films made here are not at par with Hollywood,” he feels.

The actor was last seen in a supporting role in Emraan Hashmi-starrer Azhar. Is he choosy about films or isn’t he being offered interesting roles? “It’s a combination of both. Apart from The Final Exit, I have a couple of other films ready for release and two web-series on hand. But honestly, I have a limited option and I can only respond to work that comes my way,” he says. 
While most actors belonging to Bollywood families like to flaunt their contacts or end up working with each other, Kunaal and his brother, producer Siddharth Roy Kapur and actor Aditya haven’t collaborated even once. 

“Each one of us has made mark individually and made our own journey into the industry. We have respect for each other because of that. If there’s a project that will require all three of us, we will definitely do it. We like to be brothers more than being colleagues or co-workers. Working together kind of changes the equation because you lose objectivity and the process becomes emotional,” replies the actor who will be next seen in Akshat Verma’s Kaalakandi, which is releasing later this year. 

“Kaalakandi is an exciting project because I am collaborating with Akshat after Delhi  Belly and we have some great actors like Saif Ali Khan, Deepak Dobriyal and others in the film,” he says. 

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