“Ruhani Kisse With Ruhan Kapoor Is More Of A Passion Than A Means To Earn Revenue For Me”

Talking elaborately on what prompted him to start his own web series Ruhani Kisse with Ruhan Kapoor, RUHAN KAPOOR tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that it is a tribute to his late father and the legendary playback singer Mahendra Kapoor, with which he wants to share the never before shared first hand captivating stories of several magnetic personalities he has met in his life.

Tell me something about your latest endeavor Ruhani Kisse with Ruhan Kapoor!

Through my latest series of short web episodes of five minutes each, I would like to share first hand captivating stories of magnetic personalities which have been never heard before. In the end of each episode, I have also sung some of the classic songs and I am glad that music lovers have deeply appreciated my renditions of thee evergreen songs.

What triggered the idea in you?

During my live performances with my dad Mahendra Kapoor, whichever part of the world I have travelled to, people have always been very intrigued to know about the various anecdotes about the great artistes of the Golden Era and have listened to every word with immense fascination as well as rapt attention. Having seen this kind of an overwhelming response from the audiences across the globe, my son Sidhant Kapoor who is a composer-singer on his own right pursued me to come up with my very own web series called Ruhani Kisse with Ruhan Kapoor on my channel on YouTube. It is being released periodically on every Wednesday my Face Book page.

How many episodes have come up till now?

Three episodes have been uploaded trill now. I am so overwhelmed by the humungous response and love that has poured in from all parts of the world after watching the first three episodes of Ruhani Kisse with Ruhan Kapoor. I am truly honored and privileged that legends like Amitabh Bachchanji, Anandji ( of Kalyanji- Anandji fame), Jaspinder Narulaji, Suresh Wadkarji and Anup Jalotaji  have all shown their keen interest and encouraged me through their personal messages.

Why did you not approach any production house to launch this series as a show on say television which has a wider reach?

For your information, today the web has a far bigger reach than even television or for that matter radio. I feel that the web is making bigger inroads and the web is undoubtedly going to be the future. Though Cinema or TV will never die, the web will be able to definitely tap a very large audience all over the world at the same time in the near future. To answer your question on why I preferred to launch it on my own YouTube channel, my answer is that even though some music companies offered to produce it, I decided not to take up their offer because I did not want to brook interference of any kind. I did not want to be subjected to pressure of any kind when I make this as a tribute to my father as well as music which I hold in high esteem.

Does it mean that you primarily treat this endeavor not as an outlet to generate revenue but as an outlet of passion for you?

I agree with you 150 per cent. This endeavor is more of a passion than a means to earn revenue.

What do you think makes a web series have a better edge over other conventional outlets?

Web series will do better because it has an edge over the series of channels which offer entertainment in the sense that it offers you the luxury of convenience. You may be forced to miss a film in a theater because of lack of time but you will never miss a web series episode because you can watch it at your own convenience leisurely.

Where do you shoot your episode every week?

Though I shot the pilot at my own house in Bandra, I shoot the different episode at different places like the Suncity apartment of my family friend Yusuf Lakdawala at Vile Parle where I shot the episode on Rafisaab.

Do you have plans to shoot different episodes with different people who were close to your dad?

Yes. In the second season, I intend to persuade Anandji uncle to talk to me about his association with my dad and his passion for music. I intend to talk to other stalwarts in the trade too. It all depends upon the kind of response that I manage to get for my first series.

Why do you think you missed the bus as far as acting was concerned though you had a dream debut as a Yash Raj hero in Faasle opposite Farah?

I was a born musician but somehow luck eluded me. Though I started learning classical music  at a very young age of 9 from Pandit Tulsidaas Sharma, Ustad Chote Iqbal, Ustad Anwar Hussain and Pandit Murali Manohar Shukla, all belonging to different gharanas of Indian classical music and even had the privilege of acting in as many as 12 films with people including Prakash Mehra, B. R. Chopra, Essmayeel Shroff, Mohan Kumar, J. Om Prakashji etc, out of the 1, only 6 or 7 were released , like Faasle, Love 86, Mera Naseeb and Imaandaar while the rest of them did not even take off because by then the industry was in the quagmire of the underworld and that forced many people including B R Chopraji and Ramanand Sagarji to make TV serials like Ramayan and Mahabharat for Doordarshan.

What was your dad’s reaction when you told him that instead of taking up singing like him, you were planning to be launched as a leading man by Yash Chopra?

Do you know that my dad who used to act in the theatre when he was studying at St Xavier’s College where he was pursuing his M.A in English Literature had even refused an offer to be cast as a leading man by none other than the veteran film maker V Shantaram in his film Geet Gaya Paththaron Ne in the wake of the immense popularity of his songs like Aadha Hai Chandrama Raat Aadhi in his film Navrang? My dad could not take up acting at that time because my grandparents were very conservative and he was also married by then and they put their foot down.

Isn’t it strange that you did not even turn a playback singer in Bollywood like your dad?

It is strange but then I do not have any regret. Dad got a break at the hands of the veteran music director Naushadji way back in 1956 with the song Chaand Chupe Aur Taare Toote for the film Sohini Mahiwal. Playback singing was an entirely different ball game earlier and I was busy doing stage shows too with dad after my stint as an actor. It was a challenge that he had to take up when Naushadji told him that since the song had a high scale, he would not be able to sing it  and he wanted to ask Rafisaab to sing it in case dad could not measure up to sing it. Dad rehearsed the song day and night and learnt all the lines in 6 stanzas by heart and surprised Naushadji.

In what way is the film industry different from what it used to be then?

The warmth which sued to be there is missing these days because the industry has become like fast food industry and everything revolves around money these days though I remember when Kishore Kumarsaab came to sing for me for Faasle when Yashji told him that I was the son of Mahendra Kapoor, he refused to take money because I was like his son Amit though Yashji convinced him to take up the money

Which are your dad’s songs that you like?

Chalo Ek Baar Phir Se Ajnabi Ban Jaaye Hum Dono and Aur Nahi Bas Aur Nahin are my two best favorites.

What are dad’s words that you remember even now vividly?

Dad used to tell me that as a father he could give you only his car or bank balance and not art or good luck because every individual is destined to get only his due share in the world. You should be always grateful to God for what he has given you and feel enough is enough. I can never ever forget these words of his

What next?

Sidhant, who is the third generation musician in the Kapoor family and I are soon going to go on a tour to the USA with this new venture Ruhani Kisse with Ruhan Kapoor of ours. It is my humble attempt to return the love and affection that I have received and I shall continue to share more such moments with music lovers through my web series and live performances.

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