‘I am an inspiration’

Sonam Kapoor’s journey in Bollywood has been an interesting one. Being Anil Kapoor’s daughter, expectations were high and the actress had to spent quite some time in the industry to prove her acting credentials. There were roadblocks and there were successes too. Last year the successes of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Raanjhnaa cemented her position and now the actress is looking forward to a bunch of plump projects, Khoobsurat being one of them.  

The actress has often been on the receiving end of criticism for speaking her mind. Sonam is unfazed. She says, “Every girl should be bindaas. I make it a point to change my personality for someone else. If someone loves you, they should love you for who you are. Actors say whatever they want, but if actresses say something it is seen as a reflection of her personality. I know lots of heroes who have said a lot of offensive things but no one points a finger at them. But it’s not the same when a woman says something politically incorrect according to the society.” Sonam continues, “Even if I say things that may be considered dumb, as long as it gives other girls the courage to say what they feel, I think it’s worth it. I am an inspiration.”

She shares an anecdote, “Many of my journalist friends called me to join a silent march they were doing to protest the rape of a journalist. I know they called some 15-20 actresses and I was the only one who turned up because I didn’t mind talking about it. But a lot of actresses don’t want to get their hands dirty. I feel if I’ve been given a platform (through films), where people may want to listen to me, I should try to influence someone in a positive way to answer back to their in-laws or husband or whoever. Where women are concerned, instead of getting progressive, we have become regressive.”

If there is one thing she has learnt from her father Anil Kapoor, is to treat everyone equally, as far as the professional world is concerned. “That is the best piece of advice I’ve got from him. Because of that I have the same set of people working with me since seven years. My staff hasn’t changed, my manager, makeup artist are all the same. And there is a lot of loyalty because of that,” she says.

On the personal front, she hasn’t spoken of a special someone. Sonam says, “I think a lot of guys out there are scared that a woman is with them only because she wants to get married. I aspire to have a relationship like the one my parents have — beautiful and filled with trust. I’m not someone who rushes into things; I think I’m in a happy place where I am.”

She’s been one of the few high-profile names that have not shied away from working with newcomers. Speaking of her latest co-star Fawad Khan, Sonam says, “Fawad is a great actor. Wherever we go, the girls go ga-ga over Fawad. It’s easy to work with him as he has no hang-ups. He’s soft-spoken and a thorough gentleman. I’ve worked with so many newcomers — Dhanush, Ayushmann Khurrana and Imran Khan. I chose to make my debut with Ranbir Kapoor, who was a newcomer while I could have done any other film.” Sonam adds, “When I sign a film its not because of which hero is in it. It’s based on my liking for the character, the team. To top it all, I am a director’s actor. I don’t do anything where I feel I could have a bad experience.”

She has been christened as a style icon in the industry. Sonam doesn’t hide her inspirations in this regard. “I follow the styles of Meena Kumari and Nutan. Nutan was the first one to wear trousers and whatever Meena Kumari did was precise.” Citing examples, Sonam says, “In Pakeezah if she had to wear ittar on the sets she would get actual glass bottles of perfumes. There is this Madhubala song, Achcha Ji Main Haari, where she is wearing this beautiful chiffon sari with black piping. I follow a lot of trends of old actresses, even from Hollywood. Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe are my absolute favourites,” she says.