A MIND OF HER OWN

Fresh-faced and confident, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor is making a mark with her choice of roles, style, self-love, and candid views.

- RADHIKA BHALLA

In a sea of similar faces and opinions, actor Akansha Ranjan Kapoor stands out with her takes on everything from fashion to propriety and why the term ‘feminism’ should be re-phrased as ‘common sense’... And her Instagram presence is evident proof: sun-kissed snapshots of her bare-faced skin, confessions of a fraught relationship with her body while growing up, flexing effortless style in athleisure and midriff-baring outfits, and a defiance of gender expectations... All while she’s been busy with the release of her second film—Monica, O My Darling—that has caught the attention of critics and cinema-goers alike. Akansha is well on her way to paving a special path for herself. “I think everyone should know they are beautiful,” she tells Bazaar India, the 29-year-old’s ebullient confidence worn as a badge to be flaunted. And with good reason. Akansha has battled, and overcome, the negative self-image from her growing up years, and her evolved ideas on self-love are ones she wants to share with the world. In a candid conversation, Akansha continues, “I was always a chubby kid, so having to deal with that as a teenager was a bit rough. And that extended well into my 20s, when I was training to be an actor. Constantly failing to reach my ‘goal body weight’ resulted in me developing issues with the way I saw myself.” Read this special conversation with Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, as she speaks about family, friendship, love, her passion for cinema, and more...

Harper’s Bazaar: What is your earliest memory of acting/cinema?