You
acquired your management degree from the University of
Michigan. You sure had other plans for your future. Must've
been quite a decision to make.
TUSSHAR
KAPOOR: " When I went abroad I didn't get into business
management right away. I did liberal arts first. And after two
years of liberal arts, I got into business school. Yes, it did
seem like business then till I realised that I was doing it
just for the sake of doing it.
After having completed business school I started working with
David Dhawan as an assistant director for 4 to 5 months.
That's when I began to get interested in acting. And before I
know it, this offer comes up, I like the role, start my
training and actually start shooting for the film. The entire
process of finally having chosen films over business
management was more like a narrowing down process and it
wasn't like a mental trauma like 'O my Gawd! Now what do I do?
Chal ok, lets get into films?' Films has been a slow and
steadily chosen career path."
Every
Father wants their son to be even greater than he was in his
profession. Weren't there any pressures on you to take up
acting as your career on that front, or a compulsive desire
for your dad wanting either one of his children to continue
what he did?
TUSSHAR:
"There was no pressure from his side. He left it open. He
wanted us to do exactly what we felt like and films was
entirely my decision in the sense that the
offer
came to me and then Vashuji met my dad. I saw 'ThodiPrema,' the
Telugu film of which it is a re-make, and decided to do it. After
having heard my decision Dad just encouraged me from then on.
He said that that he felt I was cut out for acting but he also said
that if I wanted to do something else I could go ahead and do it. So
it was not as if he was disappointed when I started working towards
a business management career in the beginning."
Given
a very hypothetical situation, had you not been Jeetuji's son, would
it have been more difficult for you to have gotten into the film
industry?
TUSSHAR:
"I have been very lucky to have gotten this offer. I won't say
that I got the film entirely because of Dad. May be I do know people
in the industry because of him. So I guess it's a little bit of
both. I know people in the industry because of him and may be I was
lucky to have suited the character to the hilt that I got this
role."
Filmfare
Online: : Do you consider 'MKKH' the perfect launch? Wouldn't you
rather have had a launch 'Hrithik-style' with having your dad launch
you in his home production?
TUSSHAR:
"I think 'MKKH' was the perfect launch for me. I would've never
wanted to have the 'Hrithik-style' launch, because that was for him
- a launch that suited him. 'MKKH' suited me - It's more like me. I
have always wanted to make it on my own, not that Hrithik has worked
hard because of his dad, he has worked very very hard. But may be
because of my education abroad I think I am more of the alone and
independent kinds - 'Go and get your own job' kinda
thing.""I would've never wanted to have the
'Hrithik-style' launch... I have always wanted to make it on my
own"