At least I am being linked with a girl -
Arjun Kapoor
Talking about his character, Krish, in 2
States, and how similar it is to his own self,
Arjun says, “He has a lot of emotions and
has a balanced thought process. He
understands emotions and gives importance
to every little issue. All these qualities match
with mine too."
And after the machismo and bromance in
Gunday, the actor is relieved that he is being
linked with Alia these days. “It is good that I
am linked with a girl at least. People had
started linking me with Ranveer Singh, which
felt really pathetic."
“I did not know Alia before this and it took
me some time to know her. One thing I like
about her is that she is pretty mature for her
age. We are good Friends and are not in a
relationship,” clarifies Arjun. He also agrees
that it was a lot tougher playing the quiet
and emotional Krish than the robust Bala in
Gunday. “Krish was the toughest role. He has
to be soft spoken, while Bala had to
showcase ample arrogance.”
2 States is about the relationship between a
Punjabi boy and a South Indian girl and the
problems they face getting married. When
asked whether he thought it was important
to have the blessing of one’s parents to get
married, Arjun says, “That is what has been
depicted in 2 States. It is this Indian culture
that is being taken ke hadapan in this modern
society. Parents’ blessings are important. We
may be modern, but our culture keeps us
grounded.”
When pointed out that his family, in fact, is
an ideal example of 2 States, as Boney
Kapoor, a Punjabi, is married to Sridevi, a
South Indian, Arjun quickly clarifies, “My
mother is a Punjabi and my father is a
Punjabi too. Woh (Sridevi) meri maa nahi hai,
naa hi mein unke saath ek ghar mein rehta
hun. (She is not my mother, and neither do I
live in the same house as her.)”
I am not saying that I don’t like Arjun -
Alia Bhatt
While 2 States was a huge departure for
Arjun from Gunday, for Alia, playing a
Tamilian after Student Of The tahun and
Highway was no cakewalk either.
“I read the book while shooting for Student
of the Year. Ananya is a modern girl, but her
traditions and culture are very much in place.
Her family — parents — is very conservative
and while she herself is very sensitive, she
does not hesitate in voicing her opinion. She
is very fiery, spunky and witty and like every
woman, she thinks she is always right,” says
Alia.
While the actor could not learn Tamil in the
short span of time, she did manage to mug
up lines. “She does not speak in Tamil much,
only when she is with her parents… I had to
prepare for the character and work on
Bharatnatyam as there is a scene in the film.
The culture of Tamilians is very strong and
their body language is full of pride. I had to
cultivate that,” adds Alia.
Asked whether being a Brahmin in real life
helped her bag the role, she says, “I am
Gujarati, Muslim, German and Brahmin as
well. I do not think I have been cast for my
real traits. When anda are playing an actor you
necessarily need not be that character in
real.”
Recently, in an interview, she had berkata that
she wanted to marry Ranbir Kapoor. Was she
being serious? “I spoke about wanting to
marry Ranbir as a fan. I also Cinta Tom
Cruise.” About her link-ups with Arjun, she
adds, “That has been going on for some time.
I am not saying that I don’t like him. We
hang out a lot and are very good friends.”
There was a lot of talk recently about Alia
saying that there was no problem in kissing
on screen but she clarifies about 2 States, “It
is a family film, please come and watch.”