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Arjun Kapoor sees Singham Again as a “new starting point” in his career, taking on the role of antagonist Danger Lanka in Rohit Shetty’s blockbuster.
Arjun Kapoor, playing the main antagonist in Singham Again, describes the role as a “rebirth” in his career.
Big-budget blockbusters often have the power to reshape careers, and Arjun Kapoor is hopeful that his role as the main antagonist in Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again will serve as his “new starting point.”
The action-packed film, led by Ajay Devgn, is the third installment in the popular Singham franchise, which kicked off in 2011 with Singham and was followed by Singham Returns in 2014. The series is part of Shetty’s cinematic cop universe, which also includes Simmba (2018), starring Ranveer Singh, and Sooryavanshi (2021), led by Akshay Kumar. Kapoor joins an ensemble cast featuring Devgn, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tiger Shroff, and more.
“I’m happy people are liking my work… Now is the new starting point. The rebirth or the redemption, whatever you want to call it, I think it starts now,” the actor told PTI in an interview.
Playing the modern-day Raavan, named Danger Lanka, Kapoor expressed his long-standing admiration for Shetty’s work, including his successful films like Golmaal, Singham, and Simmba. He was thrilled to be trusted with such a role. “He trusted me, and he took that chance, and I hope I repaid his faith. I loved working on the film.”
At 39, Kapoor, who debuted with Ishaqzaade in 2012, said the offer for Singham Again came at an ideal time in his life. “I was looking at a challenge and an opportunity to prove and push myself and grab my chance in a competitive environment… I thought this was the right opportunity.”
Kapoor has taken on various shades of characters throughout his career, from Ek Villain Returns to Gunday and Aurangzeb, but he saw Singham Again as an opportunity to go all out. “I knew it’s a blockbuster, a big-budget bonanza that people come to watch. If you have to go all the way there, you choose a film like this.”
Referring to Ajay Devgn’s memorable role as a villain in Khakee, Saif Ali Khan’s in Omkara, and Bobby Deol’s in Animal, Kapoor said, “When you go for big films, you go to the extreme. The payoff is that the mainstream audience that has liked you as a positive will also like the negative thing.” Although his character is inspired by Raavan, Kapoor didn’t approach the role as a direct portrayal of the demon king. Instead, he embraced the character of Danger Lanka. “I didn’t see it as playing Raavan, I thought of him as Danger Lanka. I was like, there’s an interpretation of Ramayana in the film. Like, Rang De Basanti had the legend of Bhagat Singh, but it was about those characters. He (Shetty) was making the Ramayana the way he had imagined it.”
He continued, “But, for me, the excitement was to play this uncontrollable mad man, who believes he is right. It is a delicious place to be at, you can do what you feel like. I did what I felt like, and that was the most exciting part of the film as an actor to do.”
Reflecting on his decade-long career, Kapoor, known for films like Gunday, 2 States, and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, emphasized the importance of taking care of himself mentally and physically to deliver his best. “When you’re young, you can take on a lot. As time proceeds, I want to be clear about saying yes because I want to really go out there and do a film. So, the choices you’re making on a day-to-day basis have to get better.”
Kapoor admits his career took a hit in 2018, but with Singham Again finding success, he’s optimistic about making better choices going forward. “The last couple of years from 2018-2019, when I had a couple of films, and it didn’t do it, and then COVID-19 happened. Post-COVID-19, things didn’t really hit the spot.”
In its first week of release, Singham Again has surpassed Rs 160 crore nett at the box office, a success Kapoor credits to the entire cast and crew. “I did it for my own selfish reasons of being in a good film and making a reconnect with the audience. I don’t think people came to see me, but if they left with me, and they liked the film, I’m happy with that. But the intent was never that, ‘Inn sabke saamne mujhe yaad rakhna.’ We are all happy with the credit, I’m sure I can speak on their behalf.”
