{ WHAT MAKES ZAHAN KAPOOR AND ADITYA RAWAL TICK? } The ‘nepo babies’ who are making a mark on the stage away from paparazzi buzz

You'd be hard-pressed to find two young artists more steeped in the Bollywood showbiz tradition than Aditya Rawal and Zahan Kapoor.

- Bhanuj Kappal

One is the son of veteran actor Paresh Rawal and actress and former Miss India Swaroop Sampat. The other isa scion of the first family ‘of Bollywood, the son of actor-director Kunal Kapoor and grandson of Shashi Kapoor. Ina more predictable version of this story, they would have followed the usual ‘star kid’ trajectory—carefully orchestrated paparazzi buzz, glowing magazine cover stories, followed by a big-budget launch vehicle.

But these are not your typical nepo babies. Instead of chasing the limelight, they took a slower, offbeat path, honing their chops on the theatre circuit and working behind-the-scenes jobs in the film and ad industries before debuting on the big screen. They've both now acted in major film and streaming projects —Faraaz’, ‘Aar Ya Paar’, ‘Black Warrant’— but the theatre stage remains their favourite proving ground, and one they keep returning to. So when we sat down for a chat over coffee at Juhu’s Prithvi Theatre, ahead of a staging of their critically acclaimed co-production ‘Siachen’, I just had to ask. With names that could open all sorts of doors, why focus on theatre?

‘S in the genes

“The credit goes to our fathers, who have both kept their ties to theatre alive,” says Kapoor. “So it ‘wasn't really something unusual for us to continue. In fact, it would be more unusual for us to disconnect from it completely.”

Theatre is more than just an artistic choice, Kapoor adds. It's part of his inheritance. He practically grew up in the corridors of Prithvi Theatre, a Mumbai arts institution that his family has nurtured for generations. Over the past decade, he’s worn almostevery hat there—from logistics and administration to design, programming and marketing. “I think that it has been the single most incredible opportunity for me to put myself in the shoes of so many aspects of this world,” he says. “It’s the main reason why I love theatre so much.”