EXCLUSIVE: Arjun Kapoor recalls how his name was not even mentioned in first review of Ishaqzaade

Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra starrer Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar released on OTT and to everyone’s surprise, it has got a positive response. The movie was not in the limelight before its release and due to the less buzz, it was assumed that it won’t be that great. But Dibakar Banerjee proved everyone wrong and the movie finally got its dues.

We recently had an interview with Arjun, Parineeti, and Dibakar where they spoke at length about the movie, people’s perceptions towards it, their reactions now, and a lot more. Arjun said, “When you are successful then also people they talk, and when your pictures don’t work, then too. At no point does anybody realize that they are crossing the line. Actors can be sensitive, we can condition ourselves to not get affected but at some time it does hurt and upset you. Choices can go wrong but you are still the same actor. Eventually, there are a lot of people making films. It’s not like Arjun and Parneeti are alone making the film. There are many people involved. Sometimes, you put your confidence in the script, and it doesn’t pan out and sometimes the process is not as enjoyable, so it doesn’t reflect, sometimes the timing of the film can go wrong. An actor alone doesn’t decide the fate of the film and there is a lot of pressure put sometimes and pointing of fingers. I don’t take solo credit and I hope that people understand that it is a collaborative effort.”

Arjun recalled in one of the reviews of his debut film Ishaqzaade and it was the first review of the film where his name was not mentioned. He said, “I woke up and opened the newspaper and at that point, it was a leading daily. Now, it’s not there in Mumbai anymore. I got very excited and read. It was a decent review. Parineeti (Chopra) and Habib (Faisal) got praised and the film got appreciation. All I wanted to see, good, bad or ugly, my name in the newspaper. He didn’t write my name in my first review.” Parineeti added, “Yah I know”.  When Arjun met the person after 5 years, he said that the editor asked him to chop Arjun’s name as there was less space in the newspaper. “By that time I had become a star and was hosting a show abroad and his film was about to release and I was on the stage when his film was being marketed. It just felt like life comes as a full circle,” added Arjun.

He further said, “I know about my performance in Ishaqzaade and I realized that my validation is the audience. It is nobody else ever. I look up to my audience. If a film doesn’t work, I take it as regard and respect at a theatrical level, if a film is average, I regard that too. But, I don’t listen to the noise around. I was made so small in my first review, where I realized that people dint think what to say or negative. I got emotional then and then detached myself.”

You can watch the full interview here.