Had auditioned for Aparna Sen’s film: Anil Kapoor

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor had plans to collaborate with veteran filmmaker Aparna Sen, as he revealed at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival inauguration. Despite auditioning for Sen’s film, Kapoor was deemed ‘too young’ for the role. Expressing nostalgia, he conveyed a playful plea to Sen and said, “I’m pretty old now. She should cast me. I miss her.”

Reflecting on his connection to Kolkata, Kapoor fondly recalled his journey for MS Sathyu’s ‘Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya’ in 1979, emphasising Kolkata’s impact on his cinematic journey. Kapoor remembered how he travelled by train from Mumbai to Howrah and later took a bus to Ballygunge in Kolkata to shoot ‘Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya’. “Kolkata, to me, is not just a city. It’s a sensory experience, a journey and a treasure trove of memories that have shaped my career and love for cinema,” he said.

The ‘Pukar’ actor also remembered the Bengali icon Uttam Kumar and called him an institution. “I had done a film called ‘Nayak’, but later I learnt about Satyajit Ray’s cult film ‘Nayak’ (1966), featuring Uttam Kumar. He is the ultimate ‘mahanayak’ and his ‘Nayak’ is one of the best gifts from Bengal. The spirit and character of the film are still relevant,” he said.