Arjun Kapoor: Always considered myself as underdog

Arjun Kapoor

Arjun Kapoor says success and failure are a part of life and he hopes year 2019 will be a better one for him. The actor said Thursday that he considers himself an "underdog" in the industry, a place where everybody goes through highs and lows.

"Some choices do go wrong but you live and learn. I want to do good work. I am happy when fans believe in me. But without taking advantage of the situation, I have always considered myself as an underdog," Arjun told reporters.

Calling his debut Ishaqzaade, a one-of-a-kind film, the actor said he played a negative character in almost 90 per cent of the movie in an era ruled by "chocolate boys". "The audience appreciated and accepted me. I am here today because they pay money to watch our films, sometimes they don't and that happens to the best of us. And that is a wake-up call for all of us to work harder and chose better."

He was speaking at the trailer launch of his upcoming film India's Most Wanted. Arjun said he will always strive to be part of good stories. "It is a very long race and you don't become like those big names that have survived for 15-20 years without having conviction in your work and without the love and support of the audience. I hope people continue to support me."

The 33-year-old actor said he has always tried to pick up interesting and different kind of films. "Sometimes films come to you accidentally, sometimes you are destined to do them and sometimes you take a chance," he added.

Arjun said he wanted to work with director Raj Kumar Gupta and "India's Most Wanted" is the perfect project. "I went with his conviction. Whether it is an espionage, a thriller or a film about unsung heroes, you are not playing it to the gallery as a mainstream hero. It is exciting yet scary and challenging."

The film, a tribute to unsung heroes, centres around the capture of India's most wanted, without firing a single bullet. The film's teaser, which was recently released, showed a man offering prayer while in the background he quotes Lord Krishna from the Bhagavada Gita.

"I'm not killing people. I'm sending their souls into new bodies. These are not my words but it is Lord Shri Krishna in The Gita," a voice is heard saying in the teaser. This created quite a stir on social media with many people claiming that the teaser shows a casual mention of the Bhagavada Gita by a criminal to justify his actions.

When asked to comment on this, Arjun said the film does not target any religion or caste. He called the film "pro-India".

"I am not a Hindu or Muslim, I am an Indian and we all are Indians who are making a film. We are putting our country, our humanity first. This film is about those people who do not think about religion, caste and creed.

"It is interesting for people sitting at home to type things like this. Are they putting their lives on risk? People use religion to make others feel a certain way. We are depicting a film that is pro-India. Give the film a chance before giving importance to such matters," he said.

The film, produced by Gupta, Myra Karn and Fox Star Studios, is scheduled for release May 2

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