Abhishek Kapur, a television actor, recalls his childhood in Delhi and discusses how sports have always been a part of his life. From his love of Delhi’s Butter Chicken to his time playing cricket at Delhi University, he shares a lot and explains how he transitioned from sports to acting.
Abhishek Kapur may have cemented his place in television with the soap opera Kundali Bhagya, but this #DilliKaMunda will never forget his first love — cricket! During a recent trip to the city, he visits his alma mater, Modern School on Barakhamba Road, and reminisces about the good old school and college days with a proud smile. He recalls how much he enjoyed the sport before acting became a major part of his life.
Wandering through the school’s corridors reminded Kapur of how he “spent some of the best days of my life here.” “There are a lot of fun memories, and I did a lot of silly (and good) stuff here!” he continues. I’m reminded of my standard XI and XII days, when we made a name for ourselves by winning a lot of matches. My school was extremely supportive, and I was even exempted from exams on occasion because we were always preoccupied with the game. We won every tournament when I was in class XII. We didn’t lose a single one, so that’s a good way to leave (smiles).”
Soon after, the actor ran into his high school cricket coaches, bringing back even more memories. “Throughout my school years, both Naveen Chopra sir and Uday sir were present.” In fact, even after I graduated from high school and enrolled in college, I came back to practise and play here,” he recalls, adding, “Of course, there was hanging out with friends… I recall a very well-known spot in our school, a Banyan tree, where we would all sit and talk. We’d hang out at the cricket ground, basketball court, and canteen area, among other places.”
When teammates became adversaries
Kapur, an alumnus of Delhi University’s Kirori Mal College (KMC), says, “Playing in DU was completely different from school, especially (the whole process of) giving trials in every college, getting selected, and finally choosing the right one to be a part of this sport.” During my first and second years of college, I learned a lot. I was the captain of the college team during my third year. Being a team captain for a prestigious college was an incredible experience! The only disadvantage was that inter-college cricket was not at its peak at the time.”
When he was in college, his classmates became his match opponents! “At the inter-college matches at DU, I got to play against many of my school friends.” We were all on the same team in school, but then we went to different colleges, so I was now playing against them (laughs). “I recall playing matches against Hansraj College and St Stephen’s College.”
‘Should devote time to extracurricular activities’
Since ECA trials for sports are currently underway at DU after a two-year hiatus, Kapur feels compelled to discuss the significance of ECA. “This is a fantastic opportunity.” I always tell people that it’s critical to have a second skill, whether it’s dancing, painting, or acting. Because I remember this one person who wanted to get into St. Stephen’s, which had a cut off of 97% at the time, and they worked really hard but couldn’t because of 1%. And then there was this other guy who had scored 88% and got a seat with a 10% sports quota! So, yes, these things are important.
I was also admitted to BCom because I excelled in sports. So one should devote time to extracurricular activities, and perhaps even make a career out of it if they are talented. Today, there are numerous platforms in our country where they can showcase their abilities.”
‘No one ever imagined me not playing,’ she says.
“It just happened over time as one fine day in 2014, I decided to pack my bags and move to Mumbai,” the 33-year-old says of his transition from cricket to acting. I decided to try my hand at acting and quit cricket professionally… Nobody, including myself, had ever imagined me not playing. But my parents have always been very supportive of whatever I’ve done, and it’s because they taught me to give my all in everything that I’m here today.”
While he enjoys playing cricket, he admits to having only seen two live matches in a stadium. “One was at Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley Stadium), where Sachin Tendulkar broke Sunil Gavaskar’s Test record with his 35th century, and the other was in Mumbai, during an IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians.” I don’t like watching games in stadiums because I get restless and want to join in and play. But, yes, I enjoy going to a stadium to play!”
Delhi and its delicacies
Growing up in south Delhi, he would frequently hang out with his friends at the Capital’s most popular hangouts. “Because Khan Market and Bengali Market were nearby, I frequented them. But it was different that time… We didn’t go out as much as the kids today; things were different back then. In fact, I also enjoyed visiting GK I Market, Ansal Plaza, and Essex Farms,” he says, before adding, “I love dilliwala butter chicken and dal makhani, and always make it a point to visit my favourite cafes and go clubbing whenever I’m in the city.”