I’m game for a gay role:Anil
19 Dec 2007, 0000 hrs IST,Harsha Bhatnagar

Anil Kapoor has done it all – he has played an adorable tapori (Ram Lakhan), an obedient son (Beta), a passionate lover boy (1942 A Love Story), a rebel (Tezaab) and a responsible citizen (Nayak: The Real Hero).

His repertoire is endless and, therefore, he has managed to keep the audiences interested in what he does. DT caught up with the actor...

On daughter Sonam
The doting father that he is, how does he see Sonam as an actress? The buzz is that Sonam was overshadowed by her co-star Ranbir Kapoor in Saawariya. He answers, “In a couple of days, Sonam will start working on her next film with Rakyesh Mehra. So that says it all.” And when do his fans see the father-daughter duo sharing the screen space? “Sonam belongs to a different generation, which is independent and takes its own decisions. I am ready to work with her, but she isn’t. But jokes apart, we have gone through a couple of scripts, and are waiting for the right script,” he adds.

On his new look
Anil has got a makeover for his latest Yash Raj offering. The otherwise hirsute actor is sporting a clean chest and diamond studded earlobes for Tashan. Not just that, he is also playing a grey character for the first time. Talking about the film, he says, “I have never belonged to any particular camp. Yash Raj is a big banner and the moment they had a role good enough for me, they approached me. I liked the script so I signed it.” Another interesting role in his arsenal is a film where he plays Katrina’s doting brother. Speaking about Katrina, he says, “She is a fine actress and very attractive. It’s a complete entertainer and people will enjoy it.”

On being attracted towards his co-stars
In the three decades of his existence in the industry Anil has worked with some of the most attractive women, from Madhuri Dixit to Kareena Kapoor. And attraction between opposite sexes is a natural process. He confesses, “Yes, it would be a lie to say that I have never been attracted to the actresses I have worked with. Some of them were very sensuous. But, I am committed to my family. I know how to control myself.” Is this the reason why Anil has always had a clean image in the industry? He answers with a wink, “The secret is not to be caught red-handed. I have just been very careful.”

On being game for more
The actor is nearing 50 and still looks great with actresses half his age. “That’s because I am a happy man. Being one of the top men of the industry does add a lot of stress and drains your energy levels, but you have to exercise your mind regularly too to keep calm and relaxed,” he says. And that’s not all; he is game to take up more challenges. Will he ever do a gay role if it comes his way? “Sure. I would love to do something as challenging as that,” he adds.

On his space in the industry
Ask the actor how blessed he feels to still have his hair on while several of his fellow actors are struggling to keep them, and he laughs, “Complimenting me on my hair would be running down my contemporaries. But yes, it’s God’s gift and I am definitely blessed.” The actor belongs to a genre where his contemporaries have been heavily into making muscles, but some how he never was a muscular man. “Consciousness about a healthy body was brought to the fore by people like Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Sunny Deol, but Dharmendraji heads the institution. I do admire people who take care of their bodies. Making muscles is not my kind of stuff. The latest is the six-pack abs and mine are on my face.”