Arjun Kapoor gives a glimpse of his new buzz-cut, as he removes his cap. Seated at a suburban five-star, the actor has been, since morning, promoting his upcoming film India's Most Wanted. "How come you don't have a shendi (pony)," I ask him. "It's better to use a clip on. Right now, my hair has grown because I am shooting the climax [of Panipat] in which I am wearing a helmet," pat comes the reply. To douse our excitement, he volunteers to show us the looks of his next - Panipat, a period drama helmed by Ashutosh Gowariker in which he plays a Maratha warrior. Regal gait, royal costumes, and an enviable moustache is all the sneak peek we get of the actor from the film. Over some black coffee, we sit down to chat about gaining perspective from his failures, why he won't tolerate his female co-stars being treated any lesser than him and finally reacting to the allegations of sexual harassment against Dibakar Banerjee, the director of his long pending film Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar.

From a comic role in Mubarakan (2017) to a cop act in India's Most Wanted, are you consciously trying to display your range to keep up with the changing colour of commercial cinema?
When the audience evolves, the material evolves. After 2 States [2014], I was sure I wouldn't take up another romantic-comedy anytime soon because there is no point in dabbling with generic things anymore. But R Balki's [director] Ki & Ka [2016] connected with my heart. I relate to the thought - what if a man wants to grow up and follow in his mother's footsteps? Women in our country don't get their due, nor do they get the right to choose. Social consciousness is very internal for an artiste, but this also operates in tandem with the greed of working with a director, who can teach us to do better. I chose Dibakar Banerjee's film [Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar] because I instinctively felt he could make me a better actor. As for Rajkumar Gupta, it was his idea of depicting patriotism without jingoism. A period film is on everyone's wish list, and I finally got mine. Some projects work, some don't, but I know my reasons to pick a film. It has always been nothing short of a learning experience.