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Indian television has not been able to boast of many gorgeous
women. And when the few that are, disappear from the small
screen, it invites curiosity. Kavita Kapoor is one such. She
appeared with a comet like ferocity on the television horizon,
making heads turn in Saans
and Just
Mohabbat
and then vanished in a similar haze.
The young actor has done just a few select serials. Yet her
performance in each has left a mark. For someone not trained
to act, Kavita's confidence levels, both in her performances
and in real life are amazing. She comes across just as intelligent
and discerning as she is good looking. Excerpts from an interview
with indiantelevision.com correspondent Amar.
After
being all over the small screen just a year ago, you seem
to have suddenly disappeared. Where have you been?
(laughs) I haven't disappeared. It's just that I have
always been very selective. The serials that I had been doing
have wound up and the newer ones will take time to come on
air. But I'm doing Justujoo. At the moment, it's a
small role but will become more prominent as the story progresses.
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I don't feel incomplete
as an actor because I don't follow the method school
of acting.
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Okay, lets go back in time. When did the idea of being an
actor first come to your mind?
I guess it's always been there. Even as a child, I passionately
wanted to be an actor. I wanted to learn acting at the NSD.
However, we are a conservative family and my parents were
absolutely against the idea. I took up law in college, as
a new five-year course had just been introduced and it fascinated
me. However, what is destined to happen, does happen. So after
completing my studies, I came to Mumbai and acting happened.
Have you trained yourself as an actor?
No, I haven't. I've just performed in plays at school
and college.
Is there any area where you feel training would have helped?
Perhaps it would help my diction. See, much of Amitabh
Bachchan's or Shekhar Suman's success can be attributed to
their command over the language. Unfortunately, in the atmosphere
in which we have been brought up, we don't speak Hindi the
way it should be spoken. Training could have helped improve
my diction.
Are you a method actor or do you go by your instincts?
I go purely by instinct. I apply my mind to how a character
would behave in a given situation and try to lose myself in
that character. There was an occasion in Saans where
I had to enact a scene portraying a violent rage. Now, I got
carried away by the character to such an extent that I had
to be cautioned lest I smash things. I have always trusted
my instincts.
Do you feel there is no need for anything like method acting?
I wouldn't make a sweeping statement like that. But I
am very clear that I don't feel incomplete as an actor because
I don't follow the method school of acting. Tomorrow if I
feel there is a need to learn method acting, I might even
take it up.
Many untrained actors tend to overdo things or simply overact.
Did you face this problem?
No. On the other hand, I have had people asking me if
I deliberately underplay. People don't realize that 95 per
cent of the times, they are acting in real life too. Even
a simple act of concealing something about yourself is acting.
People tend to overact when they are consciously thinking
that they have to act. But I was always very clear about my
style of acting. I never took to the loud and overplayed style.
What factors do you take into consideration before taking
up a role?
Primarily, it's the role, followed by the story and the
production set-up; in that order.
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It's
not easy to be so selective given the dearth of quality
stuff and the economics of the medium.
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Doesn't acting in TV serials get monotonous and clichéd
beyond a point?
No, not for me. The reason for that is I have not taken
on similar roles. That is also the reason why people remember
my characters. In fact, I refuse twice as many roles as I
accept. See, the purpose of acting should not be to be just
seen. Unless I get a meaningful role, I won't take it up.
And when I say that, let me also add here that it's not easy
to be so selective given the dearth of quality stuff and the
economics of the medium.
How do you keep yourself charged? Do you follow a regimen?
I thoroughly enjoy my work and that is what keeps me charged
all the time. I give a lot of thinking to any character I
play, watch my own performances so that I may work and improve
on them. Beyond that, the only regimen I follow a fitness
schedule that keeps me in shape.
On a scale of 10, how would you rate yourself as an actor?
4.5.
Aren't you being modest? Which areas do you feel you need
to improve?
No I'm not being modest. I feel I need to be more uninhibited
in my body language; my dialogue delivery in different roles
needs to be more distinctive and my diction needs to improve.
Who are your favourite actors?
Balraj Sahani, Guru Dutt and Sanjeev Kumar.
Have your picked any stylistic elements from them?
None. I have been very careful to project myself as an absolute
original. In fact, very early in my career, I've had people
emulating my style - the way my hair is done, the way I speak
etc.
Are you satisfied with what you have achieved in your career
on TV so far?
No. In fact, I am eagerly looking forward to doing real challenging
roles that haven't come to me so far.
Why haven't they? Do you feel your unconventional good
looks make people undermine the actor in you?
I don't know. Agreed I look westernized which rules me
out for certain roles but then unconventional looks are thriving
today. Doesn't Aishwarya Rai have unconventional looks? Besides,
I've never really depended so much on my looks. In fact, I've
had the writers of Saans tell me that only I could
have brought out the character so well.
Which has been the happiest moment of your career?
That was in 1996 when after a hugely successful ad campaign
for Ericsson, my parents told me they were proud of me and
reassured me that I was on the right track.
What does the future hold for you?
At the moment, I'm not thinking of anything apart from
acting. For the next few years, it's going to be acting and
more acting. I just hope I get the kind of roles I've wanted
to do.
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