I wanted to be a surgeon

Even at the beginning of our conversation, it was evident that actor and television host Anu Kapoor does not like divulging details of his childhood. Yet, he allowed a sneak peek into his carefree childhood days, his dreams and the turn of destiny that made him a star.
“I was a brilliant student,” said Anu Kapoor. “In fact, I dreamt of being a surgeon when I was young. Unfortunately, my parents did not have the financial backing to support my education, so my tryst with school ended after Class X.”
“I was born in Bhopal and spent a good part of my childhood there before I moved to Rajasthan with my folk theatre group. I was pretty much a regular boy of the villages, who was so much in love with his land, the farms and the animals. While I could not be a surgeon, I took up a job with a local nautanki and started performing there. From there, I started traveling extensively. I went to Rajasthan and then to Delhi, where I freelanced as an actor and then got signed for my first film. That was twenty-five years ago,” he added with a laugh.
He became a household name as a host of Antakshari on the television. “That show gave me the social standing which I enjoy today.” And now, he is set to return to the small screen with yet another Antakshari, this time on Star One. “I have no issues in dealing with people in any age bracket. I love the youngsters and I am proud of how responsibly most of them are fulfilling their tasks. I also respect my seniors a lot.”
Before setting out for the auditions of the show in Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities in the country, he said, “You will have to wait till the episode begins to see the changes in the new phase of Antakshari.”

Published in Hindustan Times Next on January 4, 2007