Dining with the Kapoors maker Armaan Jain: I don’t wish to return to acting

Armaan Jain, who made his acting debut with Lekar Hum Deewana Dil (2014), says he has no plans to return to acting. He has instead moved behind the camera, finding his calling in production and direction.

Armaan recently conceptualised, created and produced Dining With The Kapoors, a one-hour film that brings together the Kapoor family over a meal to mark the 100th birth anniversary of his grandfather, legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor. The film captures intimate conversations, shared memories and the family’s well-known love for food. “Saif is a fantastic cook. He loves cooking and does it passionately. His butter chicken and laal maas are excellent,” he said.Reflecting on his decision to step away from acting, he said he had given the profession a fair chance. “I don’t wish to return to acting. I gave myself a fair shot. I acted in a film, but it didn’t work out. After that, I did several courses and auditions, even signed a couple of films that fell through at the last minute. There will be ups and downs in life. You try for a few years, but there comes a time when you have to start working and earning instead of investing endlessly in classes and auditions.

”After spending four to five years learning production and direction, he discovered a strong passion for creating films and is now focussing on that, apart from his cloud kitchen business.On Alia Bhatt missing from his filmDining With The Kapoors also sparked discussion due to the absence of Kapoor bahu Alia Bhatt. Addressing the speculation, Armaan said, “Many family members had travel plans or work commitments. Alia was shooting at the time. She has watched the film and loved it.”While food is central to the film, Armaan stressed that its deeper purpose is emotional. “In the last six to seven years, we’ve faced many losses in the family and even lost RK Studio to a fire, along with priceless memorabilia and our ancestral bungalow. But what hasn’t gone away are our traditions and values,” he said. “The intent of this film was to showcase that emotion and culture. It was made purely out of love for Raj Kapoor.

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