Zahan Kapoor on not facing face nepotism jibes despite being from Kapoor family: 'Didn't grow up in the industry bubble'
Zahan Kapoor talks about his legacy and being allowed to grow up ‘normal’ away from the industry, despite being from the Kapoor family.
Zahan Kapoor has proved his mettle in just two projects on the screen. After an acclaimed debut in Hansal Mehta's Faraz, the actor again won praise for Vikramaditya Motwane's series Black Warrant. As the show receives acclaim, the actor speaks to HT about his journey so far. (Also read: Black Warrant actor Zahan Kapoor on the influence of grandfather Shashi Kapoor and the family legacy)
Zahan is the son of actor Kunal Kapoor and theatre personality Sheena Sippy. His paternal grandfather, Shashi Kapoor, is one of the greatest stars in Bollywood history, while his maternal grandfather is legendary filmmaker Ramesh Sippy. Yet, he does not face 'nepotism' jibes like many other 'star kids', including his cousins from the Kapoor family. When asked the reason behind that, Zahan laughs and says, "I don't know. That's not for me to assess or judge."
Zahan on growing up outside the industry ‘bubble’
The actor then adds, "What I can speak is the truth, which is that I have been very fortunate growing up uniquely. My parents were both creators but slightly outside the industry. My grandfather retired by the time I was born. So, I have not grown up in the industry bubble, so to speak. I was given the luxury of being able to live a really ordinary, normal life. I learnt about these things as an adolescent."
Zahan explains that the upbringing he had meant that he went into acting - first through theatre and then through films - very organically. "The second thing is that I learnt on the job. I started in production at a very young age. I started in theatre. When I started to be interested in acting, it was an organic decision. It was not due to any influence. I have had enough of a degree of separation to be allowed to make these choices for myself," the actor adds.
On accidental and incidental entry into acting
Calling his entry into films 'accidental', Zahan says that maybe this organic, unmanipulated entry is what the audience can understand. He explains, "It has been very accidental and incidental the kind of choices that I have made. I have not tried to manipulate any of it. It happened to be like that, through casting directors and random chance. It's been very organic, and I am grateful for that. It's not calculative at all. Maybe, if anything, that kind of honesty and energy is what everyone gets."
Zahan began his foray into acting through theatre over a decade ago. "And it's taken a lot of time. It's been a very slow burn, but I am very happy about that. It allows me to dig deep," he says.
About Black Warrant
In Black Warrant, Zahan stars Sunil Gupta as he navigates his early years as a deputy jailer in Tihar Jail in the 1980s. Based on the 2019 nonfiction book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury, the series also stars Rahul Bhat, Paramvir Singh Cheema, Anurag Thakur, and Sidhant Gupta. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
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