Tom Cruise Is Very Hardworking-Anil Kapoor

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, fresh from filming Mission Impossible 4 with Tom Cruise, marvels at the Hollywood superstar’s dedication and hard work. Kapoor, who plays an Indian in the action film, praised his famous co-star, saying, "Tom Cruise is very dedicated and hardworking. Some days he slept for just three hours. That is the kind of drive and dedication which makes you so successful. It (Hollywood) is like a Premier League," he said.

Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol is likely to hit theatres in December next year. The 50-year-old actor, who starred in Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire and went on to play the president of a fictitious Islamic country in US TV show 24, said, "Working at the international arena is altogether a different experience."

Talking about his journey as an actor so far, Kapoor said, "I had the opportunity of working with (British filmmaker) Danny Boyle. I learnt a lot from him. They have a different way of working and different work culture. In addition, I also had the opportunity of working with some of the great Indian directors and co-stars," he said.

"You should be like a blotting paper and absorb whatever is good. It has been a wonderful journey and God has been kind to me," he added. Kapoor is currently focusing on his home production No Problem, a light-hearted comedy in which the actor himself stars as an inspector. Akshay Khanna and Sanjay Dutt play thieves while Paresh Rawal runs a bank. Suniel Shetty is a don in the film.

"We have tried our best to make No Problem entertaining for every section in terms of its music, action, etc. I would say it’s going to provide wholesome entertainment," said Kapoor. "I think the most difficult thing is to make people laugh and that’s precisely what this film is going to do," he added. The Anees Bazmee directed film, which also stars Sushmita Sen and Kangna Ranaut, is set to release on December 10.

Anil Kapoor Completes MI4's Shooting

Anil Kapoor, who generally doesn’t experiment with his looks much, is set for a drastic make-over. The actor will shave off his head completely, after he completes MI4’s shooting, to play a villain in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Power.

The film, to be produced by Firoz Nadiadwala, also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Amisha Patel and Sanjay Dutt in the lead roles.

A source tells Mumbai Mirror, "Anil Kapoor is known to be extremely possessive about his hair style. This is the first Anil Kapoortime that the actor is playing the role of a villain in a film. His character in the film is very mercurial, edgy and stylised.

Anil too was thinking about his role for the last month and after much contemplation, he chose to go completely bald."

The actor wanted to do something different with his looks to play a negative character.

The source adds, "Anil is currently busy promoting his film, No Problem. Post that, he will go to shoot for Mission impossible 4. He will return around Christmas this year and soon after he plans to go bald and start shooting for Power."

The actor’s official spokesperson confirmed the news to the tabloid, "Yes, Anil will be taking a bold step for his role in Power."

Anil Kapoor To Enter Into TV Programming

Actor and now, producer Anil Kapoor, is planning to enter into TV programming. And he claims that he's committed to taking Indian television several notches higher.

"My production house is planning something, which has never been attempted on the small screen before. I never do things which others do," says Kapoor, adding that it would not be fair to compare the US TV industry to the Indian.

The actor's debut American televised series 24 will go on air from August 23 in India on AXN. Kapoor, who plays Oman Hasan, President of a fictional Middle Eastern country in the series, says he is not averse to doing Indian television provided the projects offerred are satisfying.

"They are ahead of us and we are doing good work, but we still have a long way to go." Talking about the scale of shows in the US, he said that the budget of 24 was more than a Bollywood big budget film. "My TV project will be on the lines of 24," said Kapoor.

Anil Kapoor To Meet Nelson Mandela

Barely hours after Spain won the World Cup, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor was fatigued and yet euphoric in Johannesburg. He had seen what he called the greatest show on earth. He was bowled over by two people - Nelson Mandela and Shakira.

Being the brand ambassador to South Africa, Anil had a ringside view of the match. And he's most impressed.

"You have to understand the World Cup final was a self-contained experience. And the way the South African government put it together is exemplary for all, including us Indians who struggle against countless glitches when we host an international sporting event. On Sunday evening here in Johannesburg there were no glitches, no traffic jams on the roads, no seating errors, no jostling and no VIP interventions. Everything went smoothly. I'd describe it as the greatest show on earth," he told IANS.

Anil was bowled over by Shakira. "What a presence! What a performance! She just took everyone's collective breath away and set the right mood for the match."

The match itself was touch and go, and Anil was hooked. "The final moments proved decisive for Spain. I realised what edge-of-the-seat excitement meant. I forgot everything in the final moments of the game, including the fact that I had flown in and had to fly out within 24 hours. It was just 96,000 people staring open-mouthed in a stadium built specially for the occasion."

But the greatest most moving moment of the match was when Nelson Mandela arrived.

Anil chokes with emotion. "I first met Mandela for my film 'Gandhi My Father'. But I can never get over my awe and admiration for the man. The elaborate and elegant way he arrived for the match just bowled me over. Because of his grand-daughter's accident Mandela had not come for any of the other matches. But he made it a point to come for this one because his country hosting something so spectacular was matter of great pride for him. I just kept looking at him wondering how vindicated Mandela must be feeling to see a country he had brought to freedom, celebrating its freedom with such a wonderful event."

Anil ran into some of his colleagues from Bollywood at the stadium. "It was great meeting Shah Rukh and Gauri, though they sat in a different area from mine. What I really enjoyed was meeting Shah Rukh's son Aryan for the first time. What a bright goodlooking boy. He sure is a chip off the old block."

On Monday, Anil was getting ready to return to Mumbai. "I've to be back to carry on with the marketing of my daughter's film. I can't wait to see its release Aug 6. After that I'm taking a month-long holiday in LA. I think I've earned myself a break."