‘Wanted to back out’: Tusshar Kapoor recalls facing cultural shock in 90s Bollywood

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The actor further shared his first impression of the film industry. He said, “It was a huge cultural shock for me. I came from a business background. I didn’t train from childhood to become an actor. I was academically inclined, studied abroad, worked there. Of course, there are certain dos and don’ts for a newcomer in the industry. You had to be a certain way. You should have a specific body and attitude. There was a stereotypical expectation, and I was an introvert, so for me it was overwhelming. I felt like I came from another world.”

“When I came in, it was the 90s era. So actors were expected to take fight classes, dance classes. So I was very confused. I wanted to back out before the film started. Then I decided to block all the drama associated with me just because I was a star’s son. I focused on my job. I took what people said less seriously. I worked so hard that the film did well,” Tusshar added.

‘Media was harsh, family was not supportive’

Apart from the pressure of proving himself as an actor, Tusshar Kapoor also had to contend with the expectations that came with being born into a film family. He shared, “All the stress I went through was my own. The expectation people had of me when I was not on set; they thought I should get into fights at discotheques, be in the news for whatever reasons. Those expectations annoyed me a lot and pressurised me a lot, but it was never because of whose brother or son I am. This movie was my earning, so I didn’t feel the pressure to live up to somebody else’s body of work. As a newcomer, the pressure was my own.”

“There were expectations in the media. They were a little harsher towards me, because I was somebody’s son. They would be overly critical. For them the glass was half empty, rather than half full. I used to ignore these things and focus on films. Those expectations didn’t rattle me too much. For me, the shot must be good and the director must be happy. Work ethic got me through that movie. Otherwise, I would have been a bundle of nerves,” Tusshar added.

Tusshar Kapoor also shared how his family reacted to these concerns. “I would like to believe they were not too supportive. They don’t pamper me too much. I don’t agree with my family too much. My parents would say people die to be in my position, so why was I not doing much and becoming selective? It’s okay. Everyone has their opinion. Some are cool about it; I wasn’t too cool about it.”

On the work front, Tusshar will Kapoor be next seen in Prakash Jha’s Janaadesh, followed by Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal 5.