Yesteryear heartthrob Rishi Kapoor on donning a new avatar and having a choc-a-bloc schedule with seven films releasing this year

Known as the chocolate boy hero in his heydays, sexagenarian Rishi Kapoor is equally famous for his temperament and no- nonsense attitude today. The veteran actor, who is glad about the positive reception he received for his latest film Aurangzeb, shares his views on several topics ranging from his career to life in general.

You've been experimenting with varied roles lately.
Earlier, I was happy essaying the chocolate-boy hero. Neither did anyone approach me with other roles nor did I seek to break the mould. But today, I find myself playing villainous and plot-driven roles. As an actor who has matured, it's important that I interpret the character well. And it can't be possible without the director's cooperation. So I try not to work with rigid filmmakers.


Do you miss playing the lover boy?
That was 25 years ago! I'm simply playing my age now. I've been shrewd enough to create my space under the sun. Not many of my contemporaries are landing such plum roles. I'm lucky to create awareness among writers and directors so that they could write roles specifically for me. My objective is to get better with every movie.

Do you have a dream role?
There's no such thing as a dream role. It's utter nonsense. To me, every single role is a dream role. I have seven releases this year. I don't ever remember being this busy.


What difference do you notice in today's younger actors?
Today's lot is very competent, confident and prepared - be it Ayushmann (Khurrana), Sushant (Singh Rajput), Varun (Dhawan) or Siddharth (Malhotra). I also recently worked with Ali Zafar, Siddharth and Divyendu in Chashme Baddoor.

These kids know what they are doing. They work on their body language consistently and are so self-assured. Comparatively, we were lost in the woods. On top of that, no one was there to guide us.

The last film you directed was Aa Ab Laut Chalen in 1999. Do you see yourself donning the director's hat anytime soon?
No, it's too much of hard work. It requires a lot of time and active involvement. I don't want to direct a film in the near future. I enjoy being in front of the camera.


Why aren't you active on the social media anymore?
I was on Facebook but my account was hacked not once, but twice. That led to some ugly moments. It was heartbreaking to see how things spiral out of control in the virtual world. My objective was to get in touch with my friends and fans. But after what happened, I didn't even bother to be active on Twitter. As of now, I just don't get the time.