Just six films old, Arjun Kapoor has ventured into television hosting a favorite action adventure reality show. Despite cynics who call it a risk, Arjun feels that by doing TV, he will be benefited in the long run. In a frank chat, he muses about turning telly host as well as the alleged cold war he’d with Tanishaa Mukerji during the shoot..

Isn’t it too early in your career to do TV?

All that crossed my head. I mean logically, I’m just six films old should you view it. I should be really consolidating my position and attempting to hone my skills and all that, but what people do not realise is we’ve a very box office oriented, result-driven company.

Our films might get recognition, but if they do not do box office company, then it’s immaterial, sadly. It’s a very amount-driven business. TV permits you to connect with even more people than you can imagine. It will help my movies eventually. So when I got the chance, I was like, ‘I am convinced this is early, but it’s amazing that I’m really going to develop equity with folks.’ Maybe, 10 years after, they had have come to learn about me; perhaps three or two years later, they’d have seen one picture of mine and said, ‘Let’s go and see his movie in the theatre’. To get folks from their house to visit theatres is definitely not possible. A weekday ticket costs ‘200 300 and if the movie releases on a holiday, forget it. So, you need to join with the crowd. One per cent of the population has gone and seen the biggest hit of the entire year. I could get away with it, because I am so young.

Did you speak to anybody before signing the show?

The decision was mine. When it was offered to me, there were just two people who I discussed it with, dad and Adi (Chopra). And they also agreed with whatever I was saying. And, should you begin to see the way in projecting the show, the channel has done an excellent job, it is just like a summer hit. It’s got it’s got that look and vibe, it’s got energy, it is got youth. For me, this is always the show that I really could picture hosting. So it fell into my lap.

You’re a fun-loving man. However, as a host, did you must maintain a distance from your contestants?

I did. I was not their best friend off-camera. I was not spending time with them post package-up and undoubtedly, you do keep a decorum. I presume that’s reasonable to the game since your private biases are unimportant in the game and I didn’t understand any of them, so that’s a big advantage. I have met Raghav (Juyal) once with Varun. I know Tanishaa socially. I ‘d no emotional connection to any contestant, so why can I compromise on that? If I start getting biased I’m assumed to be the most neutral portion of the show, it changes the dynamics of the contestants towards me.

So like you said, there is a decorum maintained. Off course, I ‘d no point wanting them to believe that I’m above them and I don’t want to indulge together. I had a lot of pleasure together on the show and I always encouraged them and supported them and you can see that we had banter and we were like buddies… all of us, but they were also really focussed and clear. They also understand at what point and exactly what a host’s occupation is, he must quit being close to them also. So, I discuss and couldn’t really go the stunt ahead and I couldn’t be faffing about and fooling around. But they were a quite well behaved group of men and women. All of them were very focussed and extremely clear about why they’d come. They’d that burning desire and ambition. And that made my job fairly easy. Nobody came with any baggage of any bias towards me. They were just contemplating the show.

When you view the show, I believe that’s contrary from what the rumour is because I got along fine with her.
Yes, it seems she didn’t like the tone of your voice..

Which is surprising to me but if she feels that way, I have no issue sitting face-to-face and solving any issue and even apologising, for that matter. I’d be more than happy to if she continues to be piqued. It is not a huge deal, I have no issues with Tanishaa. She was very sweet. I would like to believe it had more to do with factors other than me.

There were also reports that Jay and Mahi had a massive fight and things got really ugly.

I’m the last person who can speak on this, because like I mentioned, I maintained the decorum, I kept my space. I stayed in a different hotel, also. So I am the last person who can give you any clarity on that.
The film stunts you’d need to attempt to pull off.

The opening sequence of Face/Off featuring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, the entire plane sequence. I used to locate Face/Off really cool. Of course, Bad Boys the car chases, the second Bad Boys and all. As a child growing up, these are the two films that definitely stuck with me. And True Lies, the scene with the chopper and Arnold.