Janhvi Kapoor: 'I Hope My Mother's Proud Of The Choices I've Made'

She may straddle the varied worlds of movie commitments, brand endorsements, fashion and fitness with a crammed calendar, but behind the glitz and glamour, there's a youngster like every other giving it her all to make her family proud. Catching her in between the demands of her schedule, hello! Gets Janhvi talking to let us into her world of exciting projects, love for classic bollywood and the kapoor family dynamics.

- Nayare Ali 

Circa 1994. In the heart of Chennai, in the bustling neighbourhood of C Mylapore, stood a quaint bungalow manned by a single guard the home of the then reigning diva, Sridevi. An impromptu work trip had led this writer to her private escape, in a quest for an interview with the elusive and only female superstar of the time who held sway over lakhs in the 80s and 90s.

This was back when Sridevi was shooting for Chand Ka Tukda with Salman Khan in the hot environs of the southern city. This spontaneous decision to try my luck at her home was met with surprising warmth. Her mother welcomed us in, informing us that Sridevi was getting ready, only for her to glide down the stairs 10 minutes later, dressed in a bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her freshly washed hair. The aura was unmistakable. Dark expressive eyes, a soft demeanour and a confident poise that remains etched in memory after all these years.

Cut to 2022. That very gait is unmistakable in daughter Janhvi Kapoor, who is, in many ways, a mirror image of her late mother. Similar cherubic features, a poise that belies her age, and a certain playfulness that comes to the fore more often than not.

“I hope my mother’s proud of the choices I’ve made because everything I do, I tend to with the intention of making her proud,” says Janhvi, with a soft smile.

One can’t help but compare the grace in her movements to that of Sridevi. There’s a serene air around Janhvi, a trait she appears to have inherited — in addition to the deep connect Sridevi shared with Manish Malhotra, who was the first designer to style her for her movies. In fact, as we speak, Janhvi’s shooting for HELLO! at Manish’s lovely home in Juhu, Mumbai, a place as comfortable to her as her own personal space.