Actions speak louder than words

Anil Kapoor in the film

Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor's cinematic appearances following his industry debut with Mirzya (2016) may have been few and far in between, but be it his act as a man seeking to avenge his friend's death in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, or his bit-sized role in Ak vs Ak, Kapoor has established his prowess as a credible actor. His next, Thar, which sees him play the part of an antiques dealer, has then evidently piqued curiosity.

In Raj Singh Chaudhary's Netflix offering, Harsh Varrdhan travels across a remote village in Rajasthan that has recently been rocked by a series of violent killings. Investigating cop Surekha Singh, played by his father Anil Kapoor, chances upon the dealer, and finds his actions suspicious.

Harsh Varrdhan

"This is a film that is driven by the character more than the plot. Essentially, this character is such that he doesn't say too much, and is not trying to be the centre of attention. Yet, he needs to hold the audience's attention. That's a specific thing that I had to work on. This man is in such a phase of his life where he no longer cares about his appearance. I worked a lot with my acting coaches to create his back-story; who he was before he arrived at this point, and what his life was like." In a bid to look like a man who had given up on himself, he gained 20 pounds, and did away with his hair and makeup artistes. "I've had a mark on my forehead that I've always concealed, but in this film, you can see it."

Interestingly, Harsh Varrdhan joins hands with Anil after Ak vs Ak, but the young actor is glad to collaborate with him in a role that doesn't see them as a father and son. "In Hindi films, cops play parts that are larger than life. But, Surekha is a sensitive cop."