'It has been a long journey'

Anyone who watches Hindi films would remember the cute boy who danced in the song ‘Chotta Baccha’.

Having grown up into a handsome young man now, Omkar Kapoor debuted in the Bollywood film industry as a young actor with ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2’ recently. This chocolate boy is excited about the baby steps he is taking and about being noticed. In a chat with Tini Sara Anien, he talks about his aspirations and his journey till now.

From a child artiste to now, how has the journey been?

It has been a long journey. There have been ups and downs and there have been joyful days and sad ones. The transformation has been interesting and I have enjoyed it throughly!

Everyone remembers your cute dance number from ‘Masoom’. Are you a dancer?

I can say that I dance fairly well. It is up to the audience to decide though. Any given day I can dance on desi Bollywood numbers, may it be at a marriage or at events.
Just like any youngster, I grew up shaking a leg to all the hit numbers where Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan danced. I am a dancing enthusiast.

You’ve assisted directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Farah Khan and Ahmed Khan... How different is directing from acting?

It’s all a creative process and both of them require an understanding of the craft. I would love to do some serious directing once I grow up and I grey. But for the moment, I enjoy acting in movies.

How did ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnaama 2’ happen?

(After a pause) Now that I think of it, even I don’t know. I feel it was destiny. I was getting a lot of scripts but I wanted to wait for the perfect one and I strongly believe that ‘Pyaar Ka...’ was just that. I couldn’t associate myself with other stories that were narrated to me. I felt a sense of belonging with ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnaama 2’, as it was relatable. Every boy would have gone through something similar.

What was the feedback from the industry?

Thakur was a character that needed a suave, cool and calm guy, who could carry the role with a certain subtlety to it. Most of the feedback that I got was that I did the part well. Thanks to the role, I attended award ceremonies and much appreciation has come my way.

How difficult was it to crack the cute image you have and establish yourself as any other actor?

As a child artiste, one is impulsive and inquisitive and acting then didn’t require a method or procedure. But for this role, I was chosen because the director thought that I had self-respect but was reserved and fit in well.

You have a big fan following on social networking platforms, despite being a fresh face. How does it feel?

It feels awesome! To be appreciated by young girlsand others alike and getting positive feedback, always boosts once spirit. It’s like caffeine, which energises by itself. The comments make me shy, smile and work harder!

Any new projects that you have signed up?

There is something in the pipeline, but I don’t want to talk about it yet. I’m a bit superstitious that way (laughs) and I would like to talk about things only once they are fixed.