‘Aurangzeb’ not a copy of Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Don’: Arjun Kapoor

Catch the slick promos of ‘Aurangzeb’ and you will be forgiven for thinking the crime drama bears an uncanny similarity to the plot that made ‘Don’ a cult classic back in 1978, and reinforced Amitabh Bachchan’s status as a Bollywood superstar.

So much was the impact of ‘Don’ on modern-day pop culture, that filmmaker Farhan Akhtar – the son of one half of the original writing team of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar ­– decided to revisit the film in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan.

The box office receipts of the remake were lucrative enough to launch a sequel in 2011.

However, quiz whiz kid Kapoor, and he is quick to emphasise that neither is his ‘Aurangzeb’ aping the timeless caper, neither would he be “qualified enough to stand in the same bracket as Mr Bachchan or Shah Rukh.”

Speaking to Emirates 24|7 from producer Yash Raj Films offices in Mumbai, Kapoor said: “I can understand that people may assume that there are similarities between ‘Don’ and ‘Aurangzeb’ because of the double role element in both films, but that’s all that connects the two.”

For those who have failed to see the classic that the just-released ‘Aurangzeb’ is being compared to, Bachchan’s award-winning film plotted the story of a Mafioso head that is killed by the cops and replaced by a doppelganger to infiltrate his gang and bring all the remaining perpetrators to justice.

‘Aurangzeb’, well, pretty much has the same underlying storyline.

 “But it’s not all black and white as it appears,” argued Kapoor. “We have an ensemble cast, including Rishi Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Prithviraj, which takes the characters into the land grabbing mafia in Gurgaon.

 “And at the root of this is a long-standing feud between two families – a cop’s and a mafia’s empire.”

Kapoor plays the prodigal mafia son, Ajay, who, in his own words, “is uncouth, power hungry and won’t let anything stand in his way to get the throne; even if it means stepping over his own father.”

The actor also plays the white horse in the form of Vishal, the plant who is roped in to ape the bad boy and bring down the mafia empire.

Angry young man?

Look at the two-film old Kapoor and his Bollywood presence in reminiscent of the ‘angry young man’ persona that turned Bachchan into a cult hero on celluloid back in the 70s.

In fact, ‘Aurangzeb’ director Atul Sabharwal was even recently quoted in the media as saying Kapoor had an aura that reminded him of Bachchan from yore.

Quiz Kapoor and the humbled actor said it is indeed an honour, adding: “I cannot even stand in the same bracket as Mr Bachchan or even a Shah Rukh Khan. They are living legends, while I am someone starting out in my film career.”

But surely, even he cannot deny his two films have typecasted him as the brash, young man on silver screen.

“That’s a very myopic view of things,” he said. “Parma from ‘Ishaqzaade’ was a brash, yet naive boy who is caught up in an intense love story; meanwhile, Ajay and Vishal from ‘Aurangzeb’ come with their own distinct identities.”

New style icon

Kapoor is also fast positioning himself as a new style icon, who will be seen groomed impeccably in his new film donning 45 snazzy suits for his mafia makeover.

Ask him if he ever takes fashion advice from his stylised cousin and fellow Bollywood actor, Sonam Kapoor – who is currently setting shutterbugs on a frenzy with her Cannes Film Festival appearance – and the protective brother simply laughed.

“If people are talking about my fashion, then definitely my cousin is doing something right,” he laughed. “We are very close and Sonam has turned into a fine young woman and an amazing actor. I am so proud of her. Plus, her fashion statements are enough to launch a fan following of its own.

“If I ever come groomed out in a fashion faux pas, the error is solely my own.”

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