Janhvi Kapoor’s sixth film in four years is about to release. Janhvi, just 25 years old, talks more intelligent than her age and considers hard work as the key to success. She says that being the daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor may have benefited her in the first one, two films, but now she has to make a mark with her work. Apart from continuously working in remake films, considering her work in the film ‘Dhadk’ and adapting herself according to her directors, Janhvi has a long conversation with ‘Amar Ujala’ advisory editor Pankaj Shukla in this interview.
Janhvi, your new film ‘Mili’ is going to release next month and this is your third film which is a remake of another film, is it a thought thought decision or just a coincidence?
It’s a coincidence, sir. I never see that this film has been made before. If it has been a hit, it will be a hit if it is made again. it’s not like that at all. The story matters to me. And, the intention of the director and writer of the film is more important than the story. Because, if someone is making a hit film just because of making a hit film in another language only, then I will not do that film at all. But, if I am being told that this story has been made before but now we want to try to portray it differently. There is some interesting element in the story that has been left out of focus in the original film and that is why this story should reach new audiences in a new form so I think yes it has come with the right intentions. It will be fun working with them.
Before continuing with this new film, I want to talk about some of your previous films, are you completely satisfied with the final look of your previous films?
I can talk about my work in these films. I’m just not fit to comment on someone else’s work. I have always felt that my work in ‘Dhadak’ could have been better. I was very new at that time. Despite being from a film family, the confidence I should have had was very less. But, I want to say that my intention is clear. I really want to work. And, I always want to show the truth. I don’t want to show off anything, neither in real life nor in films. In my last film ‘Goodluck Jerry’, my director gave me complete freedom and I really enjoyed playing in that freedom. The effect of this freedom has also emerged in the film somewhere.
So when you work on a remake of a film, do you watch the original film? Have you seen the Malayalam film ‘Helen’ on which ‘Mili’ is made? What kind of hard work does it take to live these characters from your side?
I have seen the film ‘Helen’ in pieces. As far as the preparation of a character is concerned, it depends on the director of that film. Like we did a lot of preparation for ‘Gunjan Saxena’. I am doing its director Sharan Sharma’s next film ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’, so my cricket training is going on for the last one year. He believes a lot in preparation. But, ‘Mili’ director Mathkutty Xavier has a different approach. He gave me the script to read and said don’t memorize it at all. Whatever we do we will do at the time of shooting. The style of Nitesh Tiwari, the director of my another under-construction film ‘Bawal’, is somewhere between these two.
How much is the identity of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s daughter useful to you, you must have felt like going beyond this identity?
I absolutely want to go ahead and I cannot tell myself how far I have come. Only reviewers like you can tell this. I believe that being the daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, I have definitely got a couple of films. My first thought of working may not be that of going beyond this identity, but my last thought is definitely this. Being the daughter of Sridevi, initially people would think that if you take this in the film, then the opening will be good, people will also be curious. But, all that has happened. Now people see me everyday. Now my identity will be made by my work and my skills. And because of this, I am very happy with the characters I am getting now. My confidence in myself has also increased because of this. I believe that there is no other way to success other than hard work.