Mohit Suri misjudged Arjun Kapoor as an actor

Filmmaker Mohit Suri says he misjudged actor Arjun Kapoor earlier as he thought the latter joined the acting profession as he is the son of a producer and didn't perceive anything in life.

"I didn't know Arjun earlier. I thought he is the son of a producer, didn't perceive anything in life, so he thought of becoming an actor and got launched by Yash Raj Films which was such a big banner, I thought of him like that," Suri said here on Monday.

He said that he changed his perception when he met Arjun for his film "Half Girlfriend".

"Fact is when I met him personally, I found what I needed in my character. He was brought up by a single mother and in a male dominant industry has made himself known.

"Arjun was a fat child with no girlfriend, so then he lost weight. He then auditioned under strict procedure of selecting actors. He auditioned and got through," Suri added.

Suri said Arjun's role of Madhav Jha in "Half Girlfriend" is very similar to the actor's real life.

"Madhav Jha belongs to a royal family, but after his father's death, their family status is not as great. Coming from a small village and brought up by a single mother, he instills values in them. Then he isn't good in studies, so works hard in basketball to receive a scholarship in India's best college.

"So all these were emotional impulses that I needed for Madhav Jha's character which I saw in Arjun," Suri said.

Arjun has been paired with actress Shraddha Kapoor in "Half Girlfriend", which is slated to release on Friday.