Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor has often been a target of trolls who have criticised him for his acting chops and for coming from a privileged background. In an interview with Chalchitra Talks, Arjun opened up about dealing with trolls and revealed that, even though he has developed a thick skin, it does affect him sometimes. (Also Read: Anshula Kapoor says Arjun Kapoor has gone through a lot, but never backs down: ‘He is misunderstood’)
Arjun Kapoor says he has been an easy target for trolls
When asked how he deals with trolls, Arjun said, “I am quite thick-skinned about it because I have realised it’s a clickbait culture. If you go to all these pages where they write about me or tag me, they get a lot more traction. There is a certain amount of joy they get from pulling in an audience because they use my name. I am an easy target in that sense. I have taken things in my stride in the past and not really hit back. I take criticism well, so people take undue advantage of that.”
The actor also stated that while he used to think of og them as ‘just words, just air’ perceptions have ‘become important’ to him in the last couple of years. He admits to struggling with being ‘unfairly targetted’ too.
Arjun went on to talk about his career choices. Citing examples of films like Finding Fanny, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and Ishaqzaade, Arjun said that he has always lent himself to performance and didn’t focus solely on the box office. He further spoke about choosing to work with great directors like Raj Kumar Gupta in India’s Most Wanted and Ashutosh Gowariker in Panipat, but as his films didn’t pan out well pre-Covid, he experienced a lull at the box office.
Arjun Kapoor says trolling does affect him
“However, the perception is that I am someone’s son, and that became stronger during the Covid era because people needed a scapegoat. Perception bhut kamini cheez hoti hai (Perception is a very deceptive thing), which I’ve only now realised in the last two years. I tried hard not to get bothered. I’m thick-skinned, but it does affect me. I attempted every genre; I’m not saying I was good in every film. But I’ve seen my contemporaries become consistent after being inconsistent,” said Arjun.
He even pointed out how Saif Ali Khan is celebrated as a ‘phenomenal actor’ today but for the first 4-5 years ‘he was jobless’. Arjun Kapoor shared his thoughts on the evolving landscape of acting, noting that there is now greater value placed on craft and performance, especially with the rise of OTT platforms. Reflecting on his early days in the industry, he said that actors once aspired to master dancing, deliver dialogues fluently in Hindi, and build physiques like Hrithik Roshan. However, he acknowledged that the industry’s expectations have shifted, with a broader and more nuanced palette of what makes a successful actor today.
He went on to name Zahan Kapoor, Gourav Adarsh, Vicky Kaushal, Ranbir Kapoor, and Rajkummar Rao as examples of how the newer generation may have started out with mainstream ambitions but now growing career with more value to craft.
Arjun Kapoor’s upcoming movie
Arjun was last seen in the film Mere Husband Ki Biwi, which also featured Rakul Preet Singh and Bhumi Pednekar. The film failed to make a mark at the box office. He will next be seen in Boney Kapoor’s No Entry 2, which also stars Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh in lead roles.
