The dark side of Gautam Kapoor Explored in Danger

Gautam Hegde

"This film has greed, lust and all the sins we consciously avoid. The two-hour-seven-minute film will have you on the edge of your seat."

For a debut role on celluloid, one would think that was a daring step. But that is Gautam Kapoor. Witness: "All of us have a dark side to our personality. That side is explored in Danger."

Kapoor aka Gomzi, (after which his clothing line is named) has been a known face on the Indian ramp. He appeared in Indipop singer Alisha Chinai's video De de. "I wasn't keen on doing films during my modelling days," he confesses, adding, "[Ace photographer] Gautam Rajadhyaksha recommended me to Vasant Chedda (producer of Danger and earlier, Dev Benegal's Split Wide Open). I was called for a screen test and was selected."

Danger, he says, is an unconventional film. "I signed the film for two reasons. Vasant has been in the film business for quite some time and knows the nuances of filmmaking. He was very clear of what he wanted from me. Second, I thought the script was gripping. All its details --- like characterisation and dialogues --- were maintained till the last reel was canned."

"I play Sunny, an immature, brash and short-tempered nephew of a mafia don. Excessively violent, he loves to wear designer clothes," says Kapoor, who has designed his own clothes in the film.

He admits, "I was very nervous on the first day. But everyone on the sets were very friendly and put me at ease. The film was shot in R K Studios, Mumbai on a start-to-finish 35-day schedule. It was very hectic but enjoyable."

Danger is a noir film. Noir cinema essentially deals with lust, greed and revenge, and the woman is portrayed as a destructive force. Ketan Mehta's Aar Ya Paar starring Jackie Shroff and Deepa Sahi, is one such example.

Danger boasts of background score by DJ Whosane, who had released the trance album Moksh. The deejay debuts as composer with this film. "The background score is the soul of the film. Songs and dances could have hampered the film. The absence of songs is its USP (unique selling point) of the film," says Kapoor.

A recent controversy had the director of the film Govind Menon claiming that he was sidelined by producer Chedda. "Govind Menon was part of the project initially, but he backed out due to some problems. Vasant then completed Danger," states Kapoor.

About his costars in Danger, Kapoor says, "I know Jas [Arora] personally, but we don't interact in the film. Ashutosh Rana is a brilliant actor. His dialogue delivery creates a great impact."

Kapoor is just one of the many models to be drawn by the lure of the big screen. Take Akshay Kumar, Juhi Chawla, Aftab Shivdasani, Arjun Rampal and Bipasha Basu. He is quick to deny that he is just one of the many to have opted for the screen after a successful modelling career: "I don't think all models join films. I wanted to explore acting. I have always believed in being a Jack-of-all-trades."

He adds, "It is a myth that models cannot act. Nowadays, most of the films doing well have models -- Raaz (Dino Morea, Bipasha Basu) and Aankhen (Arjun Ramapal, Sushmita Sen)."

He would love to essay roles like Jackie Shroff in Parinda and Vivek Oberoi in Company.

Kapoor is now "looking forward to films. The offers that have come my way are of positive characters. I don't want to be slotted as a villain because I prefer to explore my talent rather than being labeled in a category."