You probably know him better as Jai Walia from the television show, Kasamh Se. Ram Kapoor, along with his co-star Prachi Desai, are very popular with fans of this Ekta Kapoor show. In fact, their onscreen chemistry that the actor doesn't want his wife Gautami to ruin it!
Of course, Ram is also sharing screen space with Gautami in the hit show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, where she plays the protagonist, Tulsi.
Ram took time out of his hectic schedule to chat with our readers on Wednesday night and patiently fielded questions from his weight to his hair colour.
For those who missed the chat, here's the transcript.
Ram Kapoor says, Hi Everybody, Ram Kapoor here. Good evening.
Rummo1 asked, HEy ram!!!!! i think ur an awesomee actorrrr!!!!!!!! i rreallly love ur work in kasamh se! keep up the good work! so what are ur future plans?
Ram Kapoor answers Thanks Rummo. I have my hands full right now, with Kasamh Se and Kyunki. So concentrating on that. Not thinking too much into the future.
Ram Kapoor says, Hi all, am noticing that a lot of you are asking questions about my weight loss. Letting you all know that I definitely plan to continue. I have lost 7kgs so far and plan to lose another seven at least.
Sam asked, Hi Ram...so glad to have you here. Would love to see you more on KS and as THE JAI WALIA. When Can We have our beloved Jai Walia back?
Ram Kapoor answers, Thanks Sam for the compliment. I don't know what you mean by Jai Walia back as he hasn't gone anywhere. Just because I'm doing Kyunki doesn't change anything. Kasamh Se is very close to my heart and will always be my priority.
rush asked, HI Ram...love u as JW...can we hav you back pls...pls...i dont like the wimpy JW...we want the Khadoos JW who was adorable...
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Rush, this is a question that you should ask Ekta and her creative team. I like to be very professional in my work ethic, so I never mess with the screenplay. I just come and do my job.
Sam asked, Ram why did you stop coming on India Forums...we wud love to have you back...some of us are your biggest fans...even during the low Phase of JW we hav stuck faithfully, always will. we fight for you lol and for us you should come back
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Sam, I've not intentionally stopped coming to India Forums. It's just that I'm working twice as many hours as I did before. I will try and come and visit soon.
Rajni asked, Hi Ram, I would like to tell you that you are mind-blowing as Jai Walia. You and Prachi Desai infuse life into the characters when together and your chemistry (chemistry doesn't suffice, I would say connection) is unbelievable (touchwood and mashalla) and is the only reason why I started watching KS and is the only reason why I'm still watching KS. If you don't mind me asking, what do you attribute to this connection (ya chemistry) that translates so well onscreen?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Rajni, that's a good question. I don't really know why our chemistry is so good. This is something that one never really knows. Maybe it's because on a personal level, we get along very, very well and I am extremely fond of her.
Mamta asked, When are you going to visit the states like the sunny California, New York, Texas or Chicago?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Mamta, I love Sunny California. I lived in LA for four years. However it's just too far and I just don't have the time. However I will be in New York, next month for the Independence Day Parade.
nina sahota asked, Hi ram nina here i wanted to know few things things firstly how well you get on with Ronit Roy? whats it like working for Ekta and lastly what storyline would you personally like to put into kasamh se if you had the choice? Would your wife come into the show ever?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Nina, I get along very well with Ronit as we have similar interests and we respect each other as actors. Working with Ekta is great, as she is very passionate about her work and she really knows what she is doing. The storyline of a daily soap is very, very confusing for a guy like me. I would go brain dead if I had to put my inputs in it, so I just prefer to keep following the screenplay quietly. And NO, I would probably not want my wife to come in Kasamh Se, as the Jai -- Bani chemistry is really loved by the fans and Gautami coming in would probably affect that.
arti asked, Mr.Ram I am gr8 fan of ur acting any chances of u acting in serials other than the balajis?and now since ur acting in 2 serials how do u manage to spend time at home? is it not to stressful?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Arti, as of now I'm very happy with Balaji and have no plans of working outside. Don't know about the future, though. Yes, doing two shows can be very stressful, but I do love my job and hard work never killed anyone. But yes, I don't get enough time with my family and I do miss that sometimes.
texan asked, how did u feel when Ekta praised u in Koffee With Karan inspite her fav was Ronit roy before u became the hot property of Indian Television?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Texan, when Ekta praised me in Koffee with Karan, I obviously felt great as it was unexpected. However at the end of the day, we are all actors doing our job, so it's better not to dwell on these things too much.
harry asked, y there is white patch in your hairs...is it natural???
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Harry, no obviously that white patch is not natural, which is why it is not there in Kyunki. If you see my photographs in the papers you won't see the white patch either.
romykhanna@rediffmail.com asked, Hello Sir, Do you have your own website where fans can read about you. If not, are you plannig to?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Romy, No, I don't have my own website and I am not planning to have one, as I don't consider myself that big. I think you have to be SRK level to have your own website. However, if you want to read up on me, everything is pretty much available on the Internet. Go to Yahoo fan clubs where fans have made a site called the Ram and Gauami Boulevard.
Piku asked, Which
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Piku, the actor I admire the most is Robert De Niro. In Bollywood I guess I would say Aamir Khan.
Deepti asked, Gautami and my brother studied in Ruia together they were good friends.... by the way i love your show, im in dallas and i can never miss watching kasam se. So are you going to do movies soon???
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Deepti, I have done four movies, but right now I am very happy in television. Don't' know what will happen in the future.
scifichick asked, Hello Ram, I just wanted to say I think you are a fantastic actor. What are your thoughts on the use of body doubles especially during pivotal scenes that should move the storyline along? Do you think that body doubles lead to a loss of the essence of chemistry and emotions that the main actors would portray in person?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi scifichick. Well first of all, I completely agree with you. Body doubles should ideally never be used because of things like chemistry. But the lead actors in a TV show have lots and lots of work and because we are always under telecast pressures, the producers have no choice but to use body doubles sometimes.
Gentle asked, WAS UR PHOTO WITH NAMAN SHAW IN A CITY TABLOID JUST A PUBLICITY STUNT??
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Gentle, no my photo with Naman was definitely not publicity stunt. There is too much written about me anyways, so I hardly need to do anything for publicity. Naman and I were irritated by those journalists and their personal questions so we decided to have some fun. That's all.
*Taz* asked, How does it feel to have Ashwini Kalsekar back in KS? I am over the moon she is back! All of us have really missed her.
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Taz. I am also over the moon that Ashwini is back. She is a fantastic actor and Kasamh Se really missed her as she is an asset to the show.
zeel asked, hi ram. u look more handsome in KSBKBT. but ur character is weird in it. can u explain it. how do u feel to work opposite ur wife? kasam se is getting boring due to no jai-bani reunion. so what's going to happen into kasam se. can u please give little hint. how's ur offscreen chemistry with prachi desai?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Zeel, thanks for the compliment. And yes, I do agree, my character in Kyunki is extremely weird. But that's what appealed to me the most, as I wanted to do something very different from Jai Walia. Working with my wife is a lot of fun. I have no clue what's going to happen in KS. I get along very, very well with Prachi Desai.
prapti asked, Mr Ram my grandmother, my mother and my younger sister pracheta, who are also present here right now chatting with you, are extremely big fans of yours
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi to all of you. Thank you so much and I hope to continue working hard to keep all of you happy.
shafaq asked, Hey Ram .. Would like to ask .. which scene did u enjoy the most shooting for .. throughtout... all ur episodes..? any particular reason...?? ... and once again .. when will u be coming to London again ... coz wen u came for Zee Carnival .. i couldnt come coz i had my exam the next dy .. and i literaly spent 2 hours crying.. coz i couldnt comee... do you have any plans for coming next time?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hey Shafaq, I think one of my most favourite scenes from Kasamh Se was the one where I spoke to my unborn child, while the child was still in Bani's womb. That scene really touched me, because even in my personal life, Gautami was pregnant. Am sorry you missed me at the Zee Carnival. I hope you did well in your exams. Well, Zee is taking me for the Singapore carnival as well. So maybe if you get lucky, I might come for the Zee Carnival in London next year.
Victoria asked, Ram, my question affects any family that has talented and ambitious people. Both you and Gautami have very successful careers. How & when do you find time for each other and the baby? Your answer may inspire people who are having troubles working this out. Please answer.
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Victoria, this is an extremely good question and by no means am I an expert on this issue. Gautami and I also struggle at times, but we both have put our foot down and taken one day off for the family. And we don't even answer phone calls on that day. It's not much but at least it's a start.
MJ asked, Hello. Usually cinema is a powerful tool to create awareness or to increase awareness in ppl. Do you think that TV media is also equally strong? Is there a particular issue you would like to address using you star status(the issues are like major social issues in india that you would liek to see changed)
Ram Kapoor answers, HI MJ, I think television is a even stronger medium than cinema, as it enters into every single persons house. However, I don't think it's being used as it should be. Our programs are too repetitive and we still have a long way to go.
amreen asked, ram how do u rate urself as an actor from the scale of 1 t 10?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Amreen, God, this is quite a philosophical question. Actually I think an actor should not dwell on these kinds of things, as they are not important in the larger scheme of things. However since you have asked me, on a scale of one to ten, I think I am five. I say that because, I definitely know my job, but I still have a long way to go
arpit asked, why did u do such measly roles in flicks like hazaroon and monsoon wedding
Ram Kapoor answers, Hello Arpit, two reasons -- firstly, even though I am a big name in television, I am a nobody when it comes to films, so I don't really have a choice. However I did accept these roles because both these films were very, very good and I feel an actor has to keep experimenting in order to keep growing.
bristi asked, Do you think the way JW loves Bani can happen in real lives? I mean JW gave up everything for his love to Bani...is this possible now?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Bristi, even though we live in a cynical world, I definitely think that this kind of love very much exists in the real world and I believe fiction that we see in these kind of TV shows are inspired from real life.
bhargu asked, hello ram....you are originally from which place?
Ram Kapoor answers, Hi Bhargu, I was born in Delhi, but moved to Bombay when I was a year old. I have lived in Bombay ever since. However I have done all my schooling outside Bombay -- Nainital and Kodaikanal and then America for college. So I like to think that I am pretty much from everywhere.
Ram Kapoor says, Hi all, I guess it's time for me to leave. I wish I could stay and answer a lot more of your questions, but time is always of the essence for me. God bless to all of you. Take care of yourselves and keep smiling.
Photographs: Reuben N V
