What challenges did Anil Kapoor face in his early career?

Anil Kapoor shares that he was "petrified" to work with industry legends like Yash Chopra, Javed Akhtar, and Dilip Kumar in the film Mashaal, as he was intimidated by the prospect of sharing screen space with such stalwarts.

How did Anil Kapoor learn to handle criticism?

Kapoor admits that criticism affected him earlier, but over time, he learned to "block out the noise" and not listen to what people were saying about him, as "success and failure are not in your hands."

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Anil Kapoor Reflects on Decades of Reinventing Himself in Bollywood

Q: How did Anil Kapoor avoid being typecast in his career?

Kapoor was initially hesitant to take on the role in Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do, fearing he might be stereotyped as a father figure. However, he ultimately decided to embrace the opportunity and was pleased with the outcome, going on to turn down similar roles to avoid being trapped in a particular image.

10 Oct

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Summary

Anil Kapoor shares early intimidating experiences working with legends
Learned to block out criticism and focus on honest work
Overcame fears of being typecast to take on diverse roles

Anil Kapoor Reflects on Decades of Reinventing Himself in Bollywood

On October 10th, 2025, acclaimed actor Anil Kapoor shared insights into his remarkable career journey at the ongoing FICCI Frames 2025 event. Kapoor reflected on the early days when he felt intimidated working with industry legends like Yash Chopra, Javed Akhtar, and Dilip Kumar. He recalled being "petrified" at the prospect of sharing screen space with such stalwarts in the film Mashaal.

Over the years, Kapoor has learned to tune out criticism and focus on delivering his best. He advised younger actors like Ranbir Kapoor to not take negative reviews too personally, as "success and failure are not in your hands." Kapoor also opened up about initially hesitating to take on the role in Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do, fearing he might be typecast as a father figure. However, he ultimately decided to embrace the opportunity and was pleased with the outcome.