Arjun Kapoor on Singham Again becoming a success: “I shot the biggest film of my life, while not really being in love with cinema”

After a series of box office disappointments, Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor has made a strong return with his role as Danger Lanka in Rohit Shetty’s action-packed cop drama, Singham Again. Kapoor has faced a challenging journey recently, with his films post-2016 struggling to perform. This, coupled with personal and emotional struggles, pushed the actor into a period of self-doubt. However, with his latest role in Singham Again, Kapoor is redefining his career and finding renewed purpose in cinema.Reflecting on this period of struggle in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Arjun Kapoor shared, “When I signed this film, I was going through the worst phase of my life, personally, professionally, emotionally, mentally, and physically.” Known for his resilience and candidness, Kapoor openly acknowledged how self-doubt clouded his perspective, saying he questioned whether he could reignite his love for acting or if the audience would ever fully embrace him again.Kapoor continued taking on roles, even while grappling with his feelings toward cinema. For him, Singham Again was a different experience. Directed by Rohit Shetty, the film is part of a successful franchise with a loyal fanbase, and Kapoor’s character received positive feedback even amid mixed reviews for the movie itself. His portrayal of Danger Lanka showcased his ability to bring intensity and dedication to his work, and the positive reception has reignited his enthusiasm for acting.During the interview, Kapoor elaborated on how his schedule for Singham Again helped him rebuild his discipline and commitment, saying, “Rohit sir had told me, ‘I need you to be in the look because we will shoot with you whenever possible.’ I just took that as a stepping stone towards my own personal development as well.”With this role as his only commitment at the time, Kapoor adopted a “less is more” approach. The scattered shooting days allowed Kapoor time for introspection, during which he embraced a slower, more deliberate lifestyle. He said, “I was not looking around or seeking because when you are doing this kind of film, you cannot do twenty things at the same time. It turned out to be a pretty introspective time for me where I realised less is more for me today going forward. Now, it’s easy but I wouldn’t have anticipated these kind of films coming my way back then. I was also going through a very internal beat, so it’s not like I didn’t do it because I didn’t want to work. I was not getting the best offers any which ways. I wasn’t really excited about it.”The challenges Kapoor faced went beyond the professional, touching deeply on his sense of purpose and love for cinema. Kapoor acknowledged this in his own words, saying, “Arguably I have shot the most entertaining commercial film of my life, the biggest film of my life, while not really being in love with cinema, and that’s quite a paradox if you look at it.” For Kapoor, a “twinkle in [his] eye” that had been missing has now returned, marking his renewed enthusiasm for his career.He added, “I used to wonder sometimes, ‘What’s the point of it all? Is it really going to pan out? Am I going to be in love with cinema again? Are people really going to care about me again? Is the audience going to reject me? Question it? I was going through all that while I was doing the film. Not in the moment of shot, but my schedule was scattered while I shot for 50 odd days for the film. I have never been with all the other actors to that degree, I was very isolated during my shoot. The baggage was there. I didn’t doubt my ability to do the role, I doubted whether people would engage.”Kapoor’s journey during Singham Again also led him to seek therapy, which helped him confront his doubts and fears. Therapy became a crucial tool for Kapoor as he sought to reclaim his mental well-being and work through his inner struggles.On the work front, Arjun Kapoor is yet to announce his next project.ALSO READ: Arjun Kapoor shares excitement about working with Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh in No Entry 2; is hopeful that the film ‘may start next year’