Chance Pe Dance:
I play a dancer in the film. Chance Pe Dance reminded me about my past. It is about struggling actors about a guy who is trying to make it big. It’s about getting a chance to dance. There are scenes where he is getting rejected in auditions and I could relate to that. Sometimes when you go for an audition, in the middle of the dialogue they say ‘Ab bas, next’ and believe me it is a terrible feeling. You feel like somebody has slapped you across your face. Also in the film I have a second-hand Zen and back then, when I was struggling, I had a second-hand Maruti 800. Not many people make it to the top and I am so glad I didn’t give up.

Going solo:
I manage my home alone in Mumbai and live with Shiv, my Man Friday and my dog. I have just returned home from the U.S. after a long schedule of Parmeet Sethi’s film. We shot all over New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta City. It was a long and hectic schedule. I am a home bird, so I missed Mumbai. I think the single status suits me a lot and now suddenly I seem to have amazing chemistry with all my co-stars.

Life after Kaminey:
It’s been different, definitely. I think there is a certain amount of appreciation and acceptance as an actor that is really important. There is a difference when you are a star and when you are an actor. I always craved for the respect that people have for you when you are a really good actor. After Kaminey, people think ‘Yeh acting bhi kar leta hai, dancing aur body banane ke saath’. Every actor craves for that kind of appreciation and I have seen a little bit of that after Kaminey.

Childhood memories:
I came from Delhi to Mumbai when in Standard V. I was a C.B.S.E student and I didn’t know Marathi so I didn’t get admission into any school. Finally I got into a C.B.S.E school that was quite close to my house. The good thing about the school was that it had just changed from a boy’s convent to a co-ed, so when I entered the classroom on the first day there were two girls among 30 boys. The teacher would be teaching and all the boys would be staring at the girls. So it was fun. In school, we were called the pillars of the class, not for any good reason but because we would be standing forever (Laughs). We were always being punished.

Star reborn:
Honestly, all the appreciation and the adulation started with Jab We Met where people saw me do something they didn’t expect. Kaminey was another extreme. Jab We Met made people sit up and take notice but Kaminey was like what the hell just happened here. It was very different. Most importantly the audience accepted it. Our industry works toward making films that people like so when the audience likes it, regardless of whether we like it or not, we have to like it.

Films and beyond:
I am just 28 and I am at a phase where people connect with me. I don’t want to take myself too seriously. It’s important to do light-hearted films.

On working with father:
I am waiting to work with dad, actor Pankaj Kapur. This will be the most challenging role for me. We are still working on the script and if there is a part he could do, he will, but I don’t think he is too keen to act in it. He wants to concentrate on direction.

On co-stars and chemistry:
It’s very difficult to say with whom I have the best chemistry. Initially I didn’t have any chemistry with anyone. I had a lot of chemistry with Priyanka Chopra in Kaminey and with Genelia D’Souza in Chance Pe Dance. I thought I had amazing chemistry with Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met and with Amrita Rao in Ishq Vishk and Vivaah. With Anushka Sharma, I am still shooting, so I would want to comment only once I finish working.