Top header Banner
Top header Banner
Middle top Banner

Arjun Kapoor: “I feel your failures teach you more than your success”

After the success of ‘Mubarakan’ (2017), Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor reflects on his journey and the lessons his failures have taught him.

In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Kapoor got candid, stating, “I feel your failures teach you more than your success. In a profession like ours, how you survive failure defines you. And you can’t let your conviction shake.”

When asked about overcoming career missteps, Kapoor said, “I think the best thing that you can always do is to just work.”

He added, “The mistake that happened during ‘Tevar’ (2015) was that I wasn’t working on another film so I had too much time to think about what people are saying and feeling. It might work for others but for me, it’s best to be on your toes. Otherwise, my mind can be my biggest enemy.”

Reflecting on his film career so far, Kapoor expressed, “In the last five years, I have experienced highs-and-lows very drastically and sharply. So, I have understood my highs and lows and I don’t live in denial. I have been through far worse situations in my life.”

“What can be more worse than having your debut film readying for release and then losing your parent at that point. To see that kind of success in your first film but still feel a vacuum, so nothing can ever touch that. In comparison, hits and flops; and highs-and-lows happen but that emotion is like having your backbone broken but being asked to stand up immediately. Kuch cheezein aisi hoti hai that teach you far more in life than just the success and failure of a film.”, the 32-year-old actor added, suggesting that his personal losses far outweigh professional ones.

Kapoor emphasized that he does not let past failures define his career path. “Regardless of how much money films make, the way you select material can’t change just because you have seen success or failure. You have to still follow your instinct. If I get excited reading something, then I don’t look at how safe and unsafe it is. I still try and retain that simple thought so I have not let success or failure change the way I agree to do films. And I don’t think you should let that happen because film-making is like gambling. There are a lot of external factors that contribute to success and failures so, you can’t control the fate always but your excitement should be consistent.”

Kapoor is all set to star in Dibakar Banerjee’s ‘Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar’ and Vipul Shah’s ‘Namastey Canada’, both alongside his debut co-star Parineeti Chopra.

By Sahar Junejo