Grace amidst scrutiny

No! I will not compare Janhvi Kapoor with her mother, the legendary Sridevi. Sri was Sri, unique in every way. Janhvi, at 26, is just about coming into her own as an actor, and the comparison seems redundant.

- SHOBHAA DE

Having watched her in Bawaal, a small budget movie, minus frills and thrills, I was once again filled with admiration for the young star who has had to endure snarky barbs all her life for being the child of famous parents.

The circumstances under which Sri died remain mysterious. Janhvi was desperately young and vulnerable at the time, and she was waiting for her 2018 debut film (Dhadak) to release. It is hard to imagine the impact of this monumental trauma on a young girl prepping for her big moment—the one she’d probably dreamt of sharing with her illustrious and well-loved mother. It is to Janhvi’s credit that she has conducted herself admirably back then and during these past five years during which she has endured intense scrutiny. Each time she steps out of her home, she is papped by a posse of eager beavers, and unlike a few of her contemporaries, she handles the press like a pro—with a ready smile and friendly banter.