“I'm never going to feel sorry for myself ”

Despite being born into Bollywood royalty, Sonam Kapoor will never give into the poor little rich girl story. Here’s why…

- Georgie Bradley

Between a succession of back-to-back interviews in a whistle-stop 24 hours, Sonam Kapoor has one request to see her through: “I’ll have a mint tea.” Balm for the soul is how she sees it – that and a spectacular spread of fresh fruit sits in front of her, presented like a work of art, coiling around a porcelain cake stand.

Kapoor’s in Dubai during an uncharacteristically but short-lived cold snap. The 32-year-old is cloaked head-to-toe in bulky swathes of blue jean fabric – “it’s the British designer Mother of Pearl, they’re new and I love them” – along with beautifully bulbous pearl Fendi accessories and a prominent IWC Schaffhausen watch. She’s in the city for the annual Dubai International Film Festival, partnered up with the luxury Swiss brand. She’s no stranger to endorsements, in fact she comes across as a permanent companion to many brands but is able to maintain equal authenticity by “believing in what you’re doing, otherwise people will catch on and recognise that you’re not genuine – there’s a moral compass that I want to keep up. I’m very excited to represent IWC on different platforms because I love the fact that they are classic and have exquisite craftsmanship. I feel like I have a like-mindedness with the brand and I believe in the same principals – it stands for the best and is elegant and beautiful.”