When Anil Kapoor said he was criticised for his looks, told he wasn’t hero material: ‘People said I’ve too much hair, small face’

Anil Kapoor has always held the belief that acting comes first, and then the star appeal. And he has said as much not only in his recent interviews, but in the older ones as well. In a 2000 chat with actor and host Simi Garewal for her show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, Anil Kapoor said it was a struggle for him to become an actor, but that has not taken away his passion for performing in front of the camera.
“It was a struggle to become a successful actor, people said I don’t look like a hero, I have small eyes, too much hair on my head, small face, too kiddish-looking. They used to call me Jughead, so I would keep on meeting producers. I had decided I would do bit roles and then become the hero or the leading man, and it has happened exactly like that,” Anil told Simi.

When asked to rate himself as an actor, Anil confessed he doesn’t think too highly of himself, adding: “I don’t think I am a good actor, I am an insecure person. I don’t think I am good enough. (I sometimes think) I won’t be able to perform in front of the camera. There are people who can do it better than me. I get scared, ‘will I be able to do it and fulfill my director’s dream?’ Because I am a director’s actor.”
The actor was also asked about the importance of looks in showbiz, to which Anil said that acting at its core has nothing to do with how one looks, it is about conviction. “For a star, appearance is important, Simi, not for an actor. You can be the ugliest man with all kinds of scars on your face, but if you can perform, or can deliver then you can hold the audience’s attention. I always thought of myself as an actor first, and then a star.”
However, soon Anil let his insecure side show when he wished he had a face like Hollywood star Tom Cruise: “I find everyone’s face better than mine. I wish I had a body like Stallone, and the looks of Tom Cruise. But bhagwan ne diya hi nahi kuch (God didn’t give my any of those things),” Anil concluded with a laugh.
On the work front, the actor is looking forward to Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter, and Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, where he plays pivotal roles. Anil Kapoor was last seen in the modest hit JugJugg Jeeyo.