TV Review: Anil and Sonam Kapoor on 'Koffee With Karan'
The show turned out to be more Koffee with Sonam than Koffee with Anil and Sonam!
I've always been a massive Anil Kapoor fan. He's one of my favourite actors and I grew up watching all his classics, from Tezaab and Ram Lakhan to his later work Lamhe, Virasat, and even his sub standard films like Loafer and Deewana Mastana.
He's never appeared on screen with his daughter Sonam, who's an up and coming star in her own right, so their appearance on this week's Koffee With Karan was a casting coup of sorts. It was a watchable show, but I was a little put off by Sonam's catty demeanour. She is talented and admittedly, rather well read and does carry off clothes well, but some of her back handed remarks didn't sit very well with me, especially given, that contrary to her warped beliefs she still has a LONG way to go before she's proven herself as an actress of substance.
Anil Kapoor too, surprisingly, was a little self conscious and restrained which was rather unexpected, given that he's done the rounds in LA for a while now so confidence shouldn't really be an issue. Anil is still one of the most successful actors of his generation (Jackie, Sunny and Sanjay have wilted away into nothingness and inconsequentiality), and looks amazing for his age, so really has nothing to feel insecure about, so I'm not really sure why he didn't let loose on the show, especially, since he admitted he didn't really take any of it seriously.
His admissions about being hen pecked by Sunita Kapoor though were endearing, and I kinda like the 'cool dad' thing he has going on with Sonam. They weren't overtly affectionate or tactile, but it's pretty evident that they have a mutual admiration society going and that was kinda sweet.
Anil's admission about being self absorbed and vain were refreshing too, but I was a little unsure whether he was kidding or whether he really meant it! His vanity is renown and has been the butt of many a joke including his own daughters, so to see it come to the forefront here was fun. One of the highlights of the show was Anil's laid back and chilled out attitude during it – I think he's been in the business so long that he knows exactly how to play the game, and some of his strategies seem to have rubbed off on Sonam – well apart from the fact that she has a tendency to put her foot in it whereas Anil is quite PC!
Unsurprisingly, Sonam was probed about her 'fashionista' status, and she made it a point to comment on her contemporaries' dress sense, and I noticed Deepika got quite a few harsh words thrown her way, and even if they were justified, they were uncalled for. Deepika is elegance personified in my eyes, and she can carry off a bikini to a saree with equal aplomb. Surely a case of sour grapes in Sonam's case I'd imagine, given that she made her debut at the same time and Deepika has left not just Sonam, but most of her contemporaries eating dust with her diverse body of work and huge blockbusters. I DID however agree about Sonam's comment with regards to Deepika's over active PR – that does need to be kept in check, but then again, which actress doesn't indulge in that? It's a cut throat world out there after all!
Sonam's admission to getting along with Rishi Kapoor (during Bewakoofiyaan) was a bit of a surprise though, given that Rishi was at the actresses's throat for the unflattering comments she'd made about his son Ranbir on the third season of the popular chat show.
Sonam appeared a little delusional on the show too and that's the part that didn't really gel with me. She tom-tommed about the appreciation she'd received in 'life changing' films (like Mausam, Delhi 6, Saawariya, I Hate Luv Storys – note sarcasm!) and the like, but I'm sorry Sonam. I beg to differ. The ONLY film I thought you showed even a glimmer of potential was in Raanjhanaa. You can forget about the rest.
Both father and daughter seem to have a soft spot for Katrina Kaif (bless her, she's been the butt of so much criticism on the show, that Anil and Sonam praising her must have come as a bit of a relief for the actress), although Sonam's dig about being able to speak Hindi when compared to other 'actresses' did not go unnoticed! Oh and as catty as it was, that dig about how if you're not good looking, only then are you classified as an actor in the Hindi film industry was bitchy to the core, but ever so funny in a guilty pleasure kinda way! The fact that Anil considered himself as one of those stars was kinda cool too, in that at least he's aware that he was never blessed with the best looks back in the day. And admittedly he did go on to prove them all wrong! Karan obviously was having a field day with Sonam and it was evident – he was loving winding her up as the show went on, because she (yet again) went on to spout quite a few gems and quotable quotes if nothing else!
I did enjoy Sonam's comments on Section 377 however – she may be full of hot air, but her comments on homosexuality and coming out were respectable and the fact that she's voicing her opinions on a public platform should be commended at least, so credit where it's due.
The sequence with a humble Arjun Kapoor describing Anil and Sonam was hands down the highlight of the show for me. Arjun is so dry and witty, and like Karan said on the show, he summed up Sonam and Anil as people in three minutes flat! They should have actually brought him along on the show, rather than pre-record his segment. It would have been fun and upped the ante on the show several fold.
The Rapid Fire Round was fun though. One expected Sonam to open her mouth without thinking and she delivered alright! Her quips on how Ranbir should commit and how Farhan should walk around shirtless, or her PR comment on Deepika were quick and spunky. And she's sexy because of her 'smart mouth' was a clever answer and her admission to having a secret crush on Sonu Nigam because of the way he sang 'Yeh Dil Deewana' (Pardes) was howlarious. Sonam redeemed herself a little bit during the Rapid Fire Round – a smart mouth she definitely does have... she just needs to make sure she doesn't consistently rub people up the wrong way with it!
Sonam won the Rapid Fire because Anil's answers had no fire. I was expecting him to make a resounding comeback during the Koffee Quiz, but even then Anil was a little slow and Sonam surprised me with her movie trivia.
I had higher expectations from this week's Koffee With Karan. Anil Kapoor was a little tepid, but Sonam didn't disappoint with her blunt answers. Like I already said though, her cattiness at points in the show put me off a tad.
Have you seen this week's episode? What did you think of it?
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