Slumdog star explains his life’s mantra on the sidelines of the Cartier Dubai Polo Challenge 09

Indian actor Anil Kapoor, who played the key role of the Millionaire show anchor in the multiple-Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire, says he has never been afraid to experiment – or fail.“I’m always ready to fail, to fall flat on my face. If you want to do something exceptional, want to be someone different, you have to be ready to fail. “Sometimes, just for the heck of it, I like to experiment, take up a role and a movie that’s totally different,” he told masala.com in an interview. Slumdog, Kapoor agreed, was one such experiment. “And now look at the results!” he said.Kapoor said he was thrilled with all the positive reaction Slumdog had triggered in India. And he dismissed all the negative reaction, no matter where it came from. “Such criticism cannot be taken seriously,” he said.Kapoor vividly remembered every moment at the Oscars. “I could hardly control myself,” he said. “My wife kept SMS-ing me, ‘try and control yourself!’. Can you imagine what it felt like? There I was, in Kodak Theatre, listening to an Indian composer sing, watching Indian dancers move. I was so, SO proud when Rahman and Resul went up on stage to receive their Oscars! That was one of the proudest moments of my life – ever!”Anil Kapoor, already a successful star in Indian cinema with superhits such as Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Mr India and Race, is now ready to screen his own production, Shortcut.