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EXCLUSIVE: Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’s Ram Kapoor on being typecast and struggle to get work; ‘They said don’t let him do something…’
In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Ram Kapoor opened up about how he faced difficulties in getting work as people viewed him as a typical family man.
Ram Kapoor has hit the headlines as the actor is all set to appear in the upcoming musical drama series Khalbali Records. Recently, he spoke to Pinkvilla and opened up about whether he struggles to get work in the film industry due to being typecast because of his successful stint on television. The actor went candid and revealed what he actually thinks about when an actor is typecast. Ram Kapoor admitted to doing projects which he did not want but did to sustain in the industry.
Initially, did you face any struggle to get roles in films after becoming a popular TV personality?
Yes, I did because I was very strongly cast as a typical family face of the country, and I did so many successful television shows. So, whenever I used to get a good film offer or whenever a big role would come my way, I would always be shortlisted in the last two or three rounds. I have done a lot of roles in the first few years.
Ram Kapoor went on to add, "In fact, before I would get finalized for the role, they would always go with the other person because they said, 'Don't let him do something so different Because he is very strongly loved by the audience as a typical family face of the country. So they may not accept him as the villain or as the negative character or anything else.'"
"So I did face such struggles, but I never regretted that because I believe that if anyone gets typecast, they should actually be very happy about the fact that they are being typecast because it means they are really good at that role. If we go back into the history of Bollywood and see the actors who were typecast, we would realize that these people were the best in that particular character. For example, when you look at comedy, we have Johnny Lever, and everyone knows that he got typecast in comedy. But this was because nobody was as good as him. He was the best of the best," explained the actor.
Citing another example, the Jubilee actor said, "Not only this, but Pran and Prem Chopra were also typecast as villains and the reason was that they were the best at their jobs. Nobody at that time could do a better job than them. So, if you're lucky enough to get typecast, don't let that get you down because that means you have reached the very top of that particular kind of role. So whenever people said that you're too much in this thing, it used to make me feel good from within because that meant I was the best for that particular role."
Reflecting upon how he started getting mainstream recognition, Kapoor remarked, "I gave myself enough time, and it took me about three full years to keep trying and trying. I had to do a lot of films, which I did not really want to do, but I did then because I wanted to stay in the public eye and not be forgotten. Then I took little steps and finally bagged the role in Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy. In this series, I had a very different role to play, and it really helped me. People from other streaming platforms suddenly started noticing me and absorbing my work, saying that he had been doing something different. Then, slowly, they started offering me work."
Concluding his thoughts, the actor told us, "Luckily for me, some of the shows really clicked and did well, and eventually, more and more roles came in. Now I'm getting a lot of work in films and in OTT, which I really wanted, but it wasn't easy. Just because I was very successful in television does not mean that the roles came to me, and it's not that like that films and OTT came to me on a platter. It took three years for the process even to start, and now, over the years, each project has helped me get better. And now I'm at a place where I'm very happy and satisfied. I am getting to pick and choose the kind of projects that I want to do. I am very lucky."
Do you have plans to make a comeback on TV?
At the moment, no, I do not. Because when you are lucky enough to do successful television shows like I was when each show lasted three or four years. If you want to do well in television and you want to have a successful show, then you get stuck doing the same role for three or four years.
For the unversed, Ram Kapoor is known for TV shows such as Kasamh Se, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, and Dhadkan, among others. Further, he showcased his talent in movies like Mere Dad Ki Maruti, Loveyatri, Neeyat, and several others. The actor is gearing up to take on a significant role in the highly anticipated film Yudhra. Additionally, the much-awaited series Khalbali Records is scheduled for release on Jio Cinema on September 12, 2024.
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