I was devastated after 'Teen Patti': Shraddha Kapoor
After a bad start, Shraddha Kapoor is back where she has always longed to be - in the limelight, enjoying the adulation that 'Aashiqui 2' has earned her. And there's more. There's a buzz that her miniscule role in Imran - Kareena starrer 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein' has been touched up to give her more screen time and a special song and dance number too. But the petite girl just giggles when we mention that.
The 24-year-old daughter of Shakti Kapoor and Shivangi Kolhapure insists she is enjoying the new heights with her feet firmly planted in the ground. The disaster that was her debut, Teen Patti, still haunts her. "I was devastated. Life came to a standstill. But my mom, dad and aunt (Padmini Kolhapure) sat me down and said, 'Rise and shine. Brush this off. Don't let one failure affect you so much. There will be light ahead. Get up and restart your dance classes and gym." And that's what she did.
At a time when almost all newcomers have the tacit or explicit endorsement of major productions houses or directors, Shradhha has had to deal with some heavy baggage - that of her father's controversial legacy. Reason why she has been on her own all this while. "It hasn't been easy," she admits, elaborating, "I auditioned for Teen Patti alone. The audition for Love Ka The End too was very exhaustive. I had to give a test for five scenes and two songs. I know the film was made for a niche audience but I don't know the numbers the film got but yeah, people started recognising me."
But then she did the unimaginable - she opted out of her three-film deal with Yash Raj. It was not easy to turn down Aurangzeb opposite Arjun Kapoor, but she did, choosing to play the female lead in Aashiqui 2 instead. A gamble, that has evidently paid off.
"Honestly, I had a gut feeling that this one was special. But I hadn't imagined the end result to be so incredible. Today my phone just does not stop ringing. Filmmakers want to work with me. And that's a great feeling," she chirps.
But does that mean the mere slip of a girl has had the temerity to burn her bridges with one of the most influential production houses? No, says Shraddha, choosing her words very carefully. "Adi Sir believed in me just when I needed him to. I would do a film with him any day with my eyes closed."
Shraddha Kapoor's no to YRF's Aurangzeb
So vivid are the love-making scenes in Yash Raj Films' Aurangzeb that Shraddha Kapoor who was the Yash Raj heroine for their production Luv Ka The End refused the role.
Much to the shock of the company, we might add.
Says a well-placed source, "Shraddha was the first choice for the lead opposite Arjun Kapoor. No one at Yash Raj thought she'd say no to a lead role in a big Yash Raj production with one of the hottest newcomers as her co-star. But when Shraddha heard about the graphic nudity and intimacy, she simply opted out without a second thought and preferred to focus on Aashiqui 2 which is now her first big hit."
Apparently, like the other star-daughter Sonakshi Sinha, Shraddha is very clear about here dos and don'ts on screen. The explicit love scenes of Aurangzeb were a complete no-no to her family values.
6