'I'm not a girlfriend stealer'

'Ranveer was seeing a girl and then I think they broke up many months later.'
'8-10 months later, I started seeing her.'

Aditya Roy Kapur looks back at his career in an interesting chat with Neha Dhupia, on her chat show, No Filter With Neha.

He also reveals the Kapur Sunday tradition that he enjoys with his brothers Siddharth and Kunaal, and his sister-in-law, Vidya Balan.

"She's (Vidya Balan) been a part of the family for so long now. I think she has got her own equation with everyone. She just fit in seamlessly, I don't think it was ever a process which took any work," he tells Neha.

On the 'notorious' people he interviewed as a VJ

There were a couple of people at that time you would always hear stories about being notoriously tough to interview.

So I know I had to interview Mr Ram Gopal Varma.

I was quite nervous about everything and those guys don't help.

Back at Channel [V], they used to really try and trouble me like, 'Listen, he's gonna s**** you, really he's gonna take your case if you ask him any stupid questions. Don't be flippant.'

So I just remember they worked me into this nervous wrec,k but eventually, he was really sweet.

I think maybe he saw that I was kinda nervous in the interview and he looked at me and said okay, this one's a little, you know.

On why he moved on from VJing

You know, in the first three years that I was a VJ, I was hosting in English because that's the language I'm most comfortable in.

Then suddenly this whole reality show burst on the scene, and Roadies happened and reality television made its way into India.

Suddenly from Hosting in English, I had this show called 'Aditya's Playlist', where I used to play all kinds of stuff, like Led Zeppelin. Suddenly, overnight, everything flipped on its head. I had to start hosting in Hindi.

It was a little jarring because as a VJ, you're kind of expected to be quick-witted and funny and crazy.

In the language, you're the most comfortable in, it's easy. But when it shifted to Hindi, I was like oh shit!

On spending time with family

Before I shifted out of my house, which was like maybe 13-14 years ago, this was just what I needed. I have been wanting to spend more time with my parents and my brother's kids.

I would always wonder like when is that time ever going to come because you end up going over for a weekend or for lunch, you just like scratch the surface. You not really spending time day in and day out.

Even if you go for a holiday, you are kind of in that new place, which is engaging you.

This (during the lockdown) was just living day in and out with my parents after really long which was amazing and I couldn't be happier.

On the conversations at home

You know, growing up, we were never connected to the film industry. But in the last 10 years, the three of us have found our way into the industry.

Conversations have kind of revolved a lot around films, it's always about films, politics and sports.

These three things I guess takes up majority of what we talk about. But films definitely has taken centrestage.

On his chemistry with his brothers

It's not like growing up, how siblings fight and hit each other and stuff.

That never happened because they were so much older than me. If they hit me, I would die.

We were actually three different generations.

On the Kapur Sunday tradition

She's (Vidya Balan) been a part of the family for so long now.

I think she has got her own equation with everyone.

She just fit in seamlessly, I don't think it was ever a process which took any work.

The thing is that none of us live together, so we just meet on Sundays when we go to my parents' house for lunch. That's a tradition.

My dad will cook some mutton and we just sit and stuff our faces for three hours straight.

Then drive home and try and keep yourself awake while you're driving.

On being a girlfriend-stealer. Did he really steal Ranveer Singh's girlfriend?

He is just being dramatic, but maybe I don't know how he felt.

Ranveer and I know each other from many moons ago, from our college days.

But no, if your questions is 'am I a girlfriend-stealer?', that's definitely not a name you can give me.

He is a charming guy yaar, give him some credit.

Give the credit to both of us, why it has to be one or the other?

There is no great story, he was seeing a girl and then I think they broke up many months later.

I think 8-10 months later, I started seeing her.

On how he got his first film, London Dreams.

I was a VJ with Channel [V], like we've spoken about.

I did that from around 19 to around 23.

I had done a shoot for a magazine.

There was a casting director called Amita Sehgal, who saw a photograph of me in Vogue.

I think this is one of the first few shoots I did.

I got a call, she was casting for London Dreams.

Vipul (Amrutlal Shah) Sir was making London Dreams and she called me in and at that time, I was auditioning anyway for other stuff.

Audition hai toh chalo, out of guilt, like, don't slap opportunity in its face kind of a thing and see what's out there.

And I ended up going for this one.

Luckily enough, I got the part.

Vipul Sir called me and said listen we're going to London for a month-and-a-half. Can you play the guitar?

I said yes.

So, do you want to go and shoot this film?

I was like yes. I'd never really been out of the country.

This was the chance to travel, to be a part of like a band in a movie and chill in London for a couple of months.

I was like let's do this. And that's how it started.

On working with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn in his first film

It was the time of my life, that first film.

We had such a blast!

I was like listen, if this is what making movies is, sign me up, you know. Just the atmosphere on the set.

I think, Salman Bhai and Ajay Sir, they just made us feel really comfortable and took us out. We really had a good time together as a team.

Rann (Rannvijay Singha) and me also got along really well and were joined at the hip for the whole time.

I just enjoyed the whole process. That was like one of my best filming experiences, ever.

Not because it was the first, but also because it was really warm and Vipul Sir was amazing as well.

Basically, Vipul Sir gave me my first break in the industry with that and then with Action Replayy, that followed it up.

It is kind of ironic that people think that I am from a film family and have been put into this by my family. It did not happen like that.

On what he feels about auditions

I think every audition has been nerve-wracking.

I have never really loved them, it's something that you have to do. It's always been really uncomfortable.

Because you have to create this reality when looking at an imaginary girl and wink at an imaginary person or whatever.

So, it's all really, really weird.

I think a lot of people that are taking auditions don't make it any easier because they are just like standing over there like 'Next'.

So there's not much compassion over there.

You just have to suck it up and do it.