Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor has found new creative territory as antagonist Danger Lanka in Rohit Shetty’s “Singham Again,” marking a calculated departure from his traditional leading man roles.
The pic marks the fifth entry in Shetty’s popular cop universe. The franchise – initially based on Hari’s 2010 Tamil-language “Singam,” starring Suriya – kicked off with “Singham” (2011) and “Singham Returns” (2014), both centering on Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn), a straight-arrow Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) from the Goa-Maharashtra border town of Shivgarh. “Simmba” (2018) shifted focus to Sangram “Simmba” Bhalerao (Ranveer Singh), a corrupt inspector from Singham’s hometown. The series expanded further with “Sooryavanshi” (2021), introducing Akshay Kumar as DCP Veer Sooryavanshi.
“Singham Again” boasts an A-list ensemble including Devgn, Singh, Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jackie Shroff, Tiger Shroff and Kapoor.
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Kapoor began his film industry journey behind the scenes, assisting in productions like “Kal Ho Naa Ho” (2003) and “Salaam-e-Ishq” (2007). He transitioned to acting with his 2012 debut in “Ishaqzaade,” earning critical acclaim and commercial success. He followed this with notable performances in “Gunday” (2014) and “2 States” (2014), the latter solidifying his status in the industry.
“Singham Again” happened after a period of box office uncertainty. “I wanted to push myself slightly. I needed to do something a bit drastic to feel the excitement about showing up on the big screen,” Kapoor tells Variety. “When you have a few films that don’t pan out the way you’re imagining, you realize there might be fatigue from the audience, or they might have an expectation for you to push yourself.”
The decision to take on a villain role in a major franchise film came at a crucial juncture in Kapoor’s career. “In a world where you would not expect me to be part of it, you wouldn’t expect a young mainstream hero to sign up and do this role, it would be nice to be the underdog,” he says. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do the film because I wanted to be consumed. I wanted to be consumed at a big level.”
The role required Kapoor to maintain a commanding physical presence throughout filming. “He [Shetty] wanted my physicality to be dominating enough when it comes to facing the opposition that was supposed to be there in the film,” Kapoor says. “The look, if you see, is a very dominating persona on screen. Everything is very, very physical. You can feel his power. It wasn’t an internalized performance, because you have very little screen time to be able to establish his presence to that degree.”
Unlike his previous roles with moral ambiguity in films like “Ishaqzaade” and “Gunday,” Kapoor’s character in “Singham Again” represents a more extreme antagonist. “This is not gray – I feel he’s very black. He’s very straightforward. In his head, he’s white, but if you look at it from society’s moral compass, he’s a villain, and he’s the archetypal nemesis that is created in these kind of stories,” says Kapoor. “His core belief systems are all wrong. So it was playing him without a moral compass, which is a little more extreme, because all those other characters had a moment of realization. This guy doesn’t have that.”
The success of “Singham Again” has led to more antagonist role offers, though Kapoor remains selective about his next moves. “I definitely want to pursue playing the antagonist or the other side of being main lead. But I don’t want to get caught up in just doing these kind of roles alone,” he says. “I want to be able to play all kinds of characters.”
At age 39, Kapoor views his villainous turn as particularly timely. “At this age, you don’t get such big films to play the antagonist. You normally get a bit older, and then that kind of plays in your screen age to make you the antagonist,” he says. “I felt it’s exciting to be young and do this. It pushes the envelope for me, also as an actor, that also opens new avenues for the audience.”
Looking ahead, Kapoor is set to star in the sequel to 2005’s “No Entry” sequel alongside Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh, directed by Anees Bazmee. He’s also exploring opportunities in long-form streaming content, though waiting for the right project. “I’m a huge admirer of that space, because I think it’s a very artistic place for a character to be created and put in the audience domain and then build from what they’re reacting to,” he says. “The character evolves and adapts, and that’s like human life. You meet people at different junctures of their life and how they were versus how they are, and circumstances change them.”
Reflecting on the changing Indian film landscape post-pandemic, Kapoor observes a significant shift in audience behavior and expectations. “Pre-pandemic, the home viewing experience was very minimal. It was satellite driven. Whenever the film came in on television is when people would sit down and watch it,” he says. “The multiplex audiences got used to sitting at home and consuming cinema because it’s pretty much available within four to six to eight weeks.”
This evolution has created a clear demarcation in content strategy. “There are certain stories that are better told on platforms because people enjoy watching them in an intimate space,” Kapoor notes. “People are not really going to step out and watch something average. There’s a lot of curation available, whether it’s Hollywood, Hindi films, or regional cinema.”
Despite these changes, Kapoor sees opportunities in both theatrical and streaming releases. “I think both of them exist in a very interesting space. Which one works more and doesn’t work more is seasonal and cyclic,” he says. “I’m hoping that they both can exist in the same ecosystem and do benefits for us as actors and filmmakers.”