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Anil Kapoor penned a long note revealing how Ek Baar Kaho became a significant turning point in his acting career.
Ek Baar Kaho was a breakthrough film in Anil Kapoor’s career. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
Anil Kapoor made his acting debut in the 1980 Telegu film Vamsa Vruksham. However, he made a breakthrough in the Hindi film industry by appearing in two back-to-back films in the same year, including Ek Baar Kaho and Hum Paanch. Now that Ek Baar Kaho has completed its 45 years of release on February 7, the actor penned a note on social media.
On his Instagram Stories, Anil Kapoor shared a collage of some iconic moments from Ek Baar Kaho to mark its 45th anniversary. In a long caption, Anil Kapoor revealed how a small role in the drama, directed by Lekh Tandon, had a huge impact on his career. Talking about the same, he stated, “45 years of Ek Baar Kaho – a small role that became a turning point in my career. Kabhi kabhi chote roles bhi career badal dete hain (Sometimes even small roles can change your career),” adding, “If you do good work, koi na koi notice karega hi (Somebody will notice),” and we can’t deny with his words.
In one of the snaps, we can see Shabana Azmi seated in a chair alongside Anil Kapoor. Produced by Tarachand Barjatya, Ek Baar Kaho featured Shabana Azmi as Aarti Mathur opposite the pivotal character Ravi Varma, played by Navin Nischol.
Coming to Anil’s role in the film, the actor then revealed how he was selected for its cast. “Shabana ji and Javed Saab saw something in me in just the smallest of scenes with Jagdeep ji. It was exactly the push I needed to break my way through many doors.” For the unversed, Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jaffrey, known by his stage name Jagdeep, who played the role of ‘Soorma Bhopali’ in Sholay, was also part of the romantic drama Ek Baar Kaho.
Expressing his gratitude, Anil continued, “Ek Baar Kaho was one of my very first films, almost like a passport into Hindi cinema. And when it got the symbolic visa of Rajshri Productions, it felt like a triumph. Thanks to Gupta ji, Rajshri Production, Raj Barjatya ji, and Tarachand Barjatya ji, I have very fond memories of this film. Don’t ask me if I was noticeable in it only my family knew I was there! It was a blink-and-go role, but one that changed everything.”
“This film also gave me lifelong friendships with Shabana ji, Javed Saab, Mahesh Bhatt, Vinay shukla and many more…I celebrate today with great gratitude for the journey, the friendships, and the memories!” Anil concluded.
On the work front, Anil Kapoor was last seen in Savi. He has War 2 and Alpha in his pipeline.
