'I've run a tea stall, done other things to get myself going'

Picture Courtesy: Official Instagram Account/Annu Kapoor

Annu Kapoor is a fine actor and has done some tremendously entertaining films that have stayed with us forever. Going by his previous interviews, the man is always honest, believes in calling spade a spade and knows what he's talking about. Something similar happened this time too.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, he spoke about his struggles before making it big in Bollywood, what it takes to survive and succeed, and why an actor should never imitate another actor. Talking about his earlier days and the days of struggle, Kapoor said, "I've run a tea stall, fried food stall, among other things, to get myself going. So difficulties weren't new in my life. By the time I started working in the film industry, I knew what struggle means."

He added, "No workspace has the guts to ignore talent, and when they do it's their loss. That's why people who do hard work can survive everything. But, I learnt the lesson that never trust people till you've tried and tested them numerous times, otherwise you'll repent. Till an actor becomes a star, he's never considered of any worth, so work harder to achieve the goals."

Talking about what it takes to survive in the Hindi film industry, the actor had this to say, "I might have crossed the initial hurdles to an extent but I still consider myself a struggler. Remember everyone can't be Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. Having option B helps. When you make it big, everybody will jump over to grab the credit of your success."

What happens when an actor tries to copy, emulate or imitate someone else with his performances? Kapoor has an opinion on it, "The history has bluntly proved that clones become clowns. Every individual is unique, so is their journey. Your talent is subject to the approval and appreciation by the audience so even if you feel talented having a fire within yourself, it'll never take you anywhere if the audience does not favour you. You also need to compromise on certain things."

Kapoor has been acting for more than three decades and has been a part of films like Arjun, Tezaab, Hum, Darr, and more recently, Gali Gali Chor Hai, Vicky Donor, Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, Jolly LLB 2, Dream Girl, and now gears up for Khuda Hafiz.

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