There is more to young Zahan Kapoor than the Kapoor legacy…grandson to Shashi Kapoor and a part of the illustrious clan, and all that. After an unappreciated debut in Hansal Mehta’s Faraz, Zahan has now made a sophomore impact with Applause Entertainment’s Black Warrant on Netflix, where his performance as the jailor Sunil Gupta has earned the young actor a heap of praise.
How did you perceive your character, the jailor Sunil Gupta?
It was a really interesting challenge because there’s a living, breathing reference point in the real Mr. Sunil Gupta, who, fortunately for me, has done several interviews and has obviously kind of put his thoughts across through his book and in every appearance he’s made. So that was a strong reference point to kind of get a sense of maybe how this person sees the world around them and their experience, how the experience has shaped them. And that was a great reference point for me. And along with that, the challenge was to imagine this person in the beginning of their career. So I play him at 24 when the 65 year old man didn’t have hindsight that he did in 2020.
So you had Sunil Gupta speaking about what he felt about his life as a jailor when he was 24, which you had to recreate?
So, here it was, reimagining what it must have been like. So it is, I think, for me, always a process of putting myself in the character’s shoes. It is not really looking at the character; rather, it’s about looking at the circumstances that the character finds himself in. So, to see through the eyes of the character, at the world, at the situations, at the other people, the relationships, and how those things are helping or harming, hindering or benefiting the situation. And that is where the script really comes into play. So, each scene, each moment of the story, is what guided me.
What was it like being directed by Vikramaditya Motwane?
Having such an incredible captain of the ship like Vikram sir, guided by Satyanshu sir and Arkesh sir‘s writing, and then all the other directors, also. So it’s really about interpreting it through character within the scene, and then us discussing and figuring out what choices we can make.
Was it tough staying in character week after week?
Yes and no. Thankfully, I was working almost every day. So it was good to be in the world and constantly in character. I like constantly reading the material. I was reading the book also and just informing myself, you know, so my subconscious mind kind of is absorbing the world and even other resources, whatever I had access to that I built in preparation. The tough part is when there’s a gap for me, which there was, there was a month’s gap between the Bombay schedule and then the schedule in Bhopal. So you lose focus and then bringing it back, that I find a little bit challenging. But that’s why I think doing the work and trying to have the preparation sorted in such a way that you can also revisit it quickly and you can map it out like that. For me, it helps a lot. So that was the challenge. And, of course, shooting across the season all at once was the real challenge. We were not shooting linearly. So to get a sense of the passage of time, the differences of, you know, the growth of the character, but I could be shooting episode seven and then episode three and then episode two and then back to five.
That must have been really tough?
That was the real tough part. But having people around you again who keep kind of checking in Vikram sir, Satyanshu sir, showrunners, making sure that we’re on point. So, yeah, being in being in good company is really the biggest blessing. It really makes the work easier. So the tough part is there, but then it’s all the load is lightened by the collaborators. And I’m so happy to have such amazing people, and even the technical departments are all helping you stay in character.
The khaki vardi must have helped
The costume helps you kind of get into character, the set, the props, the few little things that I would use and keep in my pocket would help remind me. So those are all really beautiful little, little things.
Are you as glum in real life as Mr. Sunil Kumar Gupta?
I don’t think he’s a glum person. I think he’s I think he’s someone who’s caught in a very glum situation. Most of the time, it’s difficult. I think he doesn’t want to be glum. Who wants to be glum? I think sometimes maybe the situations get the better of us. So, I certainly hope I’m not perceived as glum.
Were you disappointed when your debut didn’t do well?
I’m very fortunate to start my career with Faraz. Faraz is a very special film. It was a very, again, honest, I think, attempt to tell the story of someone who had lost their life at such a young age and in such a horrific way. And I was given the opportunity to try and interpret that. And whatever the film did in terms of career and commercial legitimacy, I really can’t say much about that, just how it falls sometimes. But I think the attempt was honest. I think everyone’s intention was pure. And I’m very proud to have been given that opportunity, even as my first film. And to associate with a filmmaker like Mr. Hansal Mehta was really very, very special. And I’m very, very grateful to him for taking that chance with me.
Black Warrant feels like your real beginning?
Black Warrant is a much bigger opportunity, no doubt. It’s really, I’ve understood what it means to truly have the story be placed on the shoulders of the central character and then what it means to inhabit that character. And even on set I’m very fortunate to be in an environment which allowed for me to feel that I was welcome to participate in many ways to shoulder the responsibility and then to encourage a kind of very positive and friendly camaraderie-filled work ethic. It really is about the story above all else. But that’s something that I saw Vikram sir and Satyanshu sir also take the lead as is that they really made you feel welcome and encouraged collaboration. And I really hope that I also managed to do that in the position I was afforded. So, if it’s a new beginning for the rest of my career.
What are your aspirations as an actor in the future?
I can’t say at this point, but I really hope that I can continue to get such opportunities and work with such amazing people. That’s really, really what it’s what it’s about. So, as far as my aspirations are concerned, I guess it’s a little bit like what I said is: I really, I really believe in the power of story. I really value how stories can impact people. Not just, you know, in the country, but all around the world. And for that reason, yes, perhaps there is a desire, or there’s a great appreciation for what my grandfather did in the way that he was able to participate and contribute to films of all kinds and even across languages, across what was then called more parallel cinema as well as doing commercial cinema. So, I think now, for me to do OTT, I would love to do more feature films.
Are you honing your performing skills?
I’m currently doing theatre. I plan to continue to do theatre to perform on stage. I would love to find opportunities to work in other languages also if if I can. So, yeah, it’s the idea of serving the story above all else.
Does the Kapoor legacy worry you?
I try not to think about the legacy on a daily basis, but I understand how the perception is geared that way. There is, of course, expectation. I consider myself very fortunate, and, of course, I’m very grateful to be in an environment that has encouraged me and, at the same time, allowed me the freedom of choice and not overburdened me with these expectations. So I’m very grateful to my parents for teaching me so much. And I hope that I can continue. I really appreciate how people look at the legacy from the outside in that way because it obviously is something that they think is still valuable, and they are very appreciative of the contribution that my family has made. And if I’m given the opportunity, I would like to dedicate my life to also continuing to contribute in as much of a way as I can. So that is probably my biggest aspiration to again, like I said, to serve story, to serve the greater construct of the collective of humanity, you know, the collective experience of coming together and watching a story, hearing a story, engaging with stories, I think helps us make sense of life as we know it and the joys and the hardships or all of it. And I think I’m really excited to continue on this path and I’m looking forward to how it will all unfold. And thank you so much for showing the interest in me and, in this series, and in everyone who’s contributed. I’m very happy that we are able to celebrate everyone’s contribution. I’m happy that people are able to celebrate the story and are able to receive it and feel like it is in whatever way, you know, whether it’s just fun or so, it’s just it helps someone one Saturday night binging it. It’s such a lovely feeling to share.
