Having been in the eye of the storm about her alleged relationships recently, Shraddha Kapoor says that she’s learnt to ignore stories about herself now. As she prepares for the release of her next, Half Girlfriend, with Arjun Kapoor, the actress admits that she’s been in a situation where there have been questions over commitment. In a freewheeling chat, Shraddha opens up about relationships, competition and more. Excerpts:
What does the concept of Half Girlfriend mean?
I think the concept of half girlfriend existed; we’re just putting a name to it. I feel people in life have faced dilemmas regarding committing, or feeling something for anyone. I’ve also been someone’s half girlfriend. I’ve not been sure if I have to entirely commit or not. However, once I feel I’m ready to be with somebody, I would want to be their full girlfriend, and not half girlfriend.
Are you a fashionista in real life?
Fashion for me is about expressing yourself. Comfort is the most important thing for me. I’m not a fashionista; I don’t know much about fashion. My friends tell me ‘You don’t wear your make-up and walk out like this.’ I’m impatient when it comes to doing my hair and make-up. I have the patience to get into the character only for the look of the film. Or else I don’t have the patience.
Is there a sense of envy when you see your contemporaries doing good work?
I get inspired by Alia (Bhatt); she’s done good work. In certain amount of roles she’s shown such variety, and I look up to her. I see her as my inspiration.
Do you feel there’s a wage gap, when it comes to paying the actresses?
There’s a disparity. Actresses have the choice to either accept that or not. I just feel that it shouldn’t be there and people should not give into it.
How do you deal with criticisms and failures?
I choose not to be too attached to success or failure. Whatever makes sense to me, I choose to work on that. My father’s my biggest critic. He feels I’m a good actress, and he appreciates my work.
As a star, do you miss your privacy?
I miss that anonymity very much. Although I’m living my childhood dream, sometimes I wish I could go for a walk on the beach. I live next to the beach, and I can’t go there anymore.
How do you react to the various reports about your personal life that float around?
Those don’t bother me, because I can’t control what someone cooks up. Sometimes rumours can take such drastic, fictional turns, that it’s just best to ignore them. Even my parents choose to ignore that.
