Janhvi Kapoor: Mom wasn't too happy with my decision but I knew acting

Janhvi, who is Boney Kapoor and the late
Sridevi's daughter, has shot into the
limelight even before the release of her
debut film, Dhadak. The 21-year-old has
been closely followed by the shutterbugs
and is quite popular on social media.
However, the ultimate test for her will be
when her launch pad, which is produced by
Zee Studios and Dharma Productions, opens
in cinemas on July 20. Contrary to popular
perception that she is quiet and reserved,
the lissome lass tells us, "I'm animated and
dramatic all the time. Over the next 30
minutes, she tells us why her mother wasn't
too happy with her career choice and how
Dhadak (an adaptation of the Marathi
blockbuster Sairat) finally came her way.
Excerpts...
Were you nervous before the trailer was
launched?
When we were shooting the film, we were
removed from all this. Ishaan and I never
shot thinking, Iss scene ka kya reception
hoga, whether people will like it,' etc. We
were just the characters. I loved it because it
was away from all this noise the good,
the bad and everything. When it came to the
trailer launch, we were still soaking in the
same feeling. Of course, there was so much
positive energy that all of us were hoping
for the best. It was only when I saw the
promo that I realised we were finally letting
it out to the world to judge. That's when I
got nervous. So, I was trembling during the
trailer launch.
Did you always want to be an actress?
When I was a kid, I used to make up stories
in my head and play characters. I loved
entertaining people. I remember, in school, I
would be animated and crack jokes. Also,
movies have had a huge influence on my life.
I've always been passionate about
cinema.However, I wanted to explore other
avenues like writing and study history. I
thought I'd do all these courses, but when I
started with an acting course, I realised this
was my calling (smiles).
Who was the first person you confided in
after you had made this decision?
I told my mom and she said, Please
reconsider your decision'. She always felt
that I am too naive. Mom and dad are very
protective of me. They didn't think I was
equipped to deal with the non-creative
aspect of filmmaking. Mom wasn't too
happy. She felt she had worked so hard to
give her children an easy life. But I didn't
want that, I wanted a fulfilling one.
I aspired to have that creative expression,
that experience in real life with the
struggles. I am very thankful for everything I
have, but I am hungry to experience more
than whatever has been given to me.
Then, how did you convince her?
It didn't take a lot of convincing because
they knew I was serious about it. They just
told me that acting doesn't mean looking
pretty and reading the lines.
I knew that, so I wanted to do it. I have lived
a wonderful life because of what my parents
have given me, but at the same time, it's
been relatively sheltered. I've been protected
all my life and I don't know if it was because
of who my parents were or the kind of
people they were. Acting gives me the ability
to experience different lives and expose
myself to so many feelings. That's why I
wanted to pursue it because this was my
one-way ticket to do everything.
So, how did Dhadak happen?
Karan (Johar) had come home after Manish
Malhotra suggested he should meet me.
Manish was the first person who thought I
was capable of becoming an actor. Even
before I could think of it, he asked me to
consider it. Then, Karan came home, we had
a brief meeting and he asked me to meet
him at his office. I did readings with him
I would read poetry and act out scenes.
Then, Dhadak happened.
Did you watch Sairat before you signed this
film?
Yes, I had seen it with mom. It's an
unbelievable film. It's such an important
movie for Indian cinema. People have loved
it because the characters are so relatable.
The social message, which comes with the
film, is poignant. And Rinku Rajguru is so
raw. She has portrayed the character of
Archi so beautifully.
How did you prepare for the role?
A lot of preparation went into it. Like I said, I
love to act, which is why I wanted to learn
everything. And I enjoyed that process
immensely. I would have never learnt
Mewari or known anything about the
Rajasthani culture otherwise. I got the
chance to do that, I spent a lot of time in
Jaipur and Udaipur, interacted with locals
and observed how they speak. Even in
Mumbai, I met a few people who are
originally from Udaipur. That was the
research, but mostly, I sat with director
Shashank Khaitan for readings and he
would work with me on it. I would read my
script every single day. Even when we were
shooting, I would read everyone's lines. The
more I voiced the dialogues, the more it
came naturally to me. Now, I think I speak
Mewari better than I speak Hindi (laughs).

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