Arjun Kapoor is the newest kid on the block who is only seven films old. Some hits. Some memorable misses. Now the question is, how will he manage to sustain himself in the long run? His choice of movies has been erratic to say the least and we are yet to see him deliver a strong performance barring Aurangzeb and Finding Fanny. He is a part of Bollywood’s Young Brigade (YBA, if you will), which is led by the likes of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Ali Zafar, Aditya Roy Kapur, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra among others.
Let us see how he has fared since making his debut in 2012 with Ishqaazaade and how he has kept up with the rest of his contemporaries.
Ishqaazaade was a Romeo-Juliet inspired tale with guns and bullets with inter-religious love playing a major role. The role suited him. Rather if you will pardon us, he looked the role. Brash, uncouth, rebellious, Arjun Kapoor’s Parma Chauhan had all the necessary ingredients to become a rock-solid character. But blame it on the tedious script or Arjun’s own nervousness (it was after all his debut movie) it didn’t really click. The ill-fated lovers, the political intrigue, the badlands of UP, all seemed freshly concocted (with a pinch of Omkara dropped in) but honestly, it was just another mismatched attempt to bolster the coolness and hijack the appeal the two peppy youngsters had.
Is Aurangzeb under-appreciated?
Following Ishqaazaade, Arjun starred in Aurangzeb. The media was abuzz with the news that it was a remake of Trishul. Arjun played a double role here – that of the bratty Ajay and the simple Vishal. Aurangzeb actually challenged Arjun to perform. Both the characters had different shades and he did shine occasionally. Yes, surrounded by stellar performers, Arjun really had to deliver and he did. But the gritty thriller failed to make an impact at the box-office. Some concluded that maybe it was too dark, too unsettling for the audience. But Aurangzeb had to be one of best movies to come out in 2013. Most thrillers fail because they jumble up the ending. Aurangzeb managed rather well. Aurangzeb was unfortunate. Maybe someday it will emerge as a cult hit because for once it shifted our focus from the hinterlands of UP to Gurgaon, the hotspot of real estate and corruption.
The Bromance of Gunday 
Gunday once again saw him playing a role which he was not very comfortable with – a gangster. It also nearly broke the internet because of a controversy surrounding Bangladesh, which saw it receive one of the lowest ratings in IMDB, though it was a major commercial success. Still acting-wise Arjun had nothing to offer and his co-star Ranveer stole the thunder from him with Irrfan Khan rubbing salt to the wound. Gunday’s story was a mixture that borrows heavily from 1970s and 80s Bollywood but it was effectively undercooked. The coal mafia, the gangsters, the cabaret dancer-nee-police officer, the conflicts, friends-turned-foes, all turned out to be a dead turkey. The problem with Gunday was its attempt to create an alternative take on historical events i.e. the Bangladesh liberation war, influx of refugees etc that wasn’t backed up by the script. It was an entertainer but even entertainers like this need to be careful. Arjun looked lost, though a group of critics did acknowledge that his chemistry with Ranveer was sparkling that helped the movie sail through.
A Bankable/Everyman Talent
Following Gunday, Arjun appeared in 2 States, the adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s novel of the same name, where finally he got to play something different – a Punjabi boy from a dysfunctional family in love with a Tamil girl (played by Alia Bhatt). Critics raved about his sudden departure from the ‘traditional’ roles he was a part of during the early phase of his career and commented that his performance was genuine. Several noted how easily he got into the skin of the character. In addition, he gelled well with his co-star Alia Bhatt and they suited each other perfectly complementing each other’s acting. After Gunday this was another commercial success for Arjun. Yes, these movies do give him the tag of a bankable star. Still, he’s far away from becoming Bollywood’s Mr Dependable.
Maybe it was in Finding Fanny he tried to answer his detractors. Finding Fanny polarized many but critics were unanimous in praising him. What was worth the effort was that he managed to hold his ground among powerhouses like Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur and Dimple Kapadia but sadly he was also the weakest link in the movie.
His latest Tevar has released to a dull response – both critically and commercially. It’s another South Indian remake (nothing bad in it if done well). Going by the early reports there is nothing exciting about Tevar and the initial opening is poor (maybe it will pick up and have a decent run in the box-office) with several critics pounding it mercilessly. Tevar is not going to test Arjun. People will watch it as a pass time movie. As they say, paisa-vasool.
That’s what Arjun has to be wary of. Of course, he is a total masala actor. That’s his comfort zone. But now and then he has to come out of that zone and give something different like he did in Finding Fanny. Bollywood is changing. Most actors are trying to do different stuff, which should be cue enough for Arjun.
As an afterthought, it will be nice to see Arjun doing something like Haider. He only needs a director with vision and will to guide him.
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The post The Fault Is In The Star: A Short Analysis of Arjun Kapoor and Whether He Will Live Up To The Hype appeared first on Bollywood Celebden.
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