Shraddha Kapoor’s last film was horror comedy, a genre that’s very rarely seen in Bollywood. Her next, Batti Gul Meter Chalu (BGMC), is again a lighthearted film with a strong social message. In a candid chat with BT, the actress talks about how hits and misses at the box office don’t affect her choice of films, her penchant for roles that are a departure from her glamorous image and the strangest reasons behind her casting in some films. Excerpts...
Just like your previous film, BGMC is also set in a small town. What convinced you that you fit the part?
Shree sir (Narayan Singh, the director) felt that I fit the character and offered the film to me. Siddharth and Garima narrated the script to me and I was bowled over by its content. BGMC was offered to me before Stree. The former was shot quickly, but the latter was shot over a few months. Very rarely, do you get films back-to-back with good content.
For Stree specifically, I remember meeting Dinesh Vijan (producer) on a flight once and while conversing, he observed that I was a bit off. He also said that while talking about one particular thing, I would suddenly start talking about something else. That’s when he offered me the film and said that I would totally fit the bill as the character in the film is a bit abrupt about things. You can never really pin down the reason why somebody offers you a particular role. Mohit Suri offered me Aashiqui 2 because the first time I met him, I had oil in my hair and I was wearing spectacles. That look stuck with him and that’s why he cast me in his film.
SHRADDHA KAPOOR
‘I don’t know anything about the business of cinema, I choose films on the basis of how I react to scripts’
Some of the roles that you play are a departure from your glamorous image. Is it tougher to play these roles or do you see it as a challenge to play someone who is not like you?
I am trying to discover who I am and that itself is a never-ending process. There are so many roles that are completely different from what I am as a person and I try not to let my real persona take over the character I am playing. My character in BGMC is someone who is loud, animated and a chatter-box. I am not like that at all. I have wanted to be all these different people and that’s why I have always wanted to be an actor. It is a cathartic process. Having said that, it’s also a huge responsibility as films educate, stimulate and entertain people.
As an actor, do you also feel responsible to break away from the perceived image of a star and try out darker characters or roles with grey shades?
The world we live in consists of the good, bad and the ugly. As an actor, I would also like to dabble in characters that have shades of grey. And what I mean by responsibility is that, I should give my best to the role I am essaying.
You are constantly pitted against your contemporary Alia Bhatt. Do you choose films keeping in mind the films your contemporaries are choosing to do?
I don’t know anything about the business of cinema; I choose to do films on the basis of how I react to the script. Comparisons with my contemporaries are bound to happen and it is not something that I can control.
You have received a lot of criticism for your last film Haseena Parkar.Did that affect you?
After a film releases, my main concern is what the audiences thought about it. Haseena Parkar didn’t do well at the box office, which means that people didn’t go to the theatres to see it. I think the audiences didn’t connect with the film or the character that I played. Whether a film does well or not, I think I should keep evolving as an actor. The fact that a particular film didn’t do well, didn’t change the way I choose my films. In this profession, hits and misses happen, that’s not in my control.
You come from a family of actors, which includes your father, Shakti Kapoor and aunt, Padmini Kolhapure. How have they influenced you?
I have always been close to my aunts because I have grown up in my nana’s house. In fact, my home is very close to my nana’s house. I am very close to my family — either I am on the set or at home with them. My aunt and my father are always there to guide me, but free-thinking has always been encouraged at home. In fact, huge credit goes to my aunt and my dad for some of the biggest decisions that I have made in my life. It’s not like they strategised on my behalf. They have also always told me to do things that I feel are right. They’ve always said that I have to make my own mistakes and learn from them. I am not dependent on them while making my choices.
After BGMC, you have the Saina Nehwal biopic and Saaho opposite Prabhas. Both require extensive research and homework. How are you prepping up for them?
I have already clocked 40 classes of badminton in preparation for the Saina Nehwal biopic. It’s a really tough sport, but I am enjoying myself. To get an insight into the life of a sportsperson is fascinating. Saina’s journey in itself is so interesting — right from her misses to her injuries and victories. I can relate to her journey in big way, because I have gone through similar experiences in a different field. Despite everything, she has not let her focus shift and that’s what’s truly inspiring. Saaho is broken up into a number of schedules and I am going to be shooting for it in parts. Also, I am speaking in Hindi as well as in Telugu because it is my first bi-lingual film. For the Telugu dialogues, I memorise them and need no prompting. My director has still not made the final decision on whether I will have to dub for the film or not. But he does tell me that I sound like a local person and that makes me happy.
Just like your previous film, BGMC is also set in a small town. What convinced you that you fit the part?
Shree sir (Narayan Singh, the director) felt that I fit the character and offered the film to me. Siddharth and Garima narrated the script to me and I was bowled over by its content. BGMC was offered to me before Stree. The former was shot quickly, but the latter was shot over a few months. Very rarely, do you get films back-to-back with good content.
For Stree specifically, I remember meeting Dinesh Vijan (producer) on a flight once and while conversing, he observed that I was a bit off. He also said that while talking about one particular thing, I would suddenly start talking about something else. That’s when he offered me the film and said that I would totally fit the bill as the character in the film is a bit abrupt about things. You can never really pin down the reason why somebody offers you a particular role. Mohit Suri offered me Aashiqui 2 because the first time I met him, I had oil in my hair and I was wearing spectacles. That look stuck with him and that’s why he cast me in his film.
SHRADDHA KAPOOR
‘I don’t know anything about the business of cinema, I choose films on the basis of how I react to scripts’
Some of the roles that you play are a departure from your glamorous image. Is it tougher to play these roles or do you see it as a challenge to play someone who is not like you?
I am trying to discover who I am and that itself is a never-ending process. There are so many roles that are completely different from what I am as a person and I try not to let my real persona take over the character I am playing. My character in BGMC is someone who is loud, animated and a chatter-box. I am not like that at all. I have wanted to be all these different people and that’s why I have always wanted to be an actor. It is a cathartic process. Having said that, it’s also a huge responsibility as films educate, stimulate and entertain people.
As an actor, do you also feel responsible to break away from the perceived image of a star and try out darker characters or roles with grey shades?
The world we live in consists of the good, bad and the ugly. As an actor, I would also like to dabble in characters that have shades of grey. And what I mean by responsibility is that, I should give my best to the role I am essaying.
You are constantly pitted against your contemporary Alia Bhatt. Do you choose films keeping in mind the films your contemporaries are choosing to do?
I don’t know anything about the business of cinema; I choose to do films on the basis of how I react to the script. Comparisons with my contemporaries are bound to happen and it is not something that I can control.
You have received a lot of criticism for your last film Haseena Parkar.Did that affect you?
After a film releases, my main concern is what the audiences thought about it. Haseena Parkar didn’t do well at the box office, which means that people didn’t go to the theatres to see it. I think the audiences didn’t connect with the film or the character that I played. Whether a film does well or not, I think I should keep evolving as an actor. The fact that a particular film didn’t do well, didn’t change the way I choose my films. In this profession, hits and misses happen, that’s not in my control.
You come from a family of actors, which includes your father, Shakti Kapoor and aunt, Padmini Kolhapure. How have they influenced you?
I have always been close to my aunts because I have grown up in my nana’s house. In fact, my home is very close to my nana’s house. I am very close to my family — either I am on the set or at home with them. My aunt and my father are always there to guide me, but free-thinking has always been encouraged at home. In fact, huge credit goes to my aunt and my dad for some of the biggest decisions that I have made in my life. It’s not like they strategised on my behalf. They have also always told me to do things that I feel are right. They’ve always said that I have to make my own mistakes and learn from them. I am not dependent on them while making my choices.
After BGMC, you have the Saina Nehwal biopic and Saaho opposite Prabhas. Both require extensive research and homework. How are you prepping up for them?
I have already clocked 40 classes of badminton in preparation for the Saina Nehwal biopic. It’s a really tough sport, but I am enjoying myself. To get an insight into the life of a sportsperson is fascinating. Saina’s journey in itself is so interesting — right from her misses to her injuries and victories. I can relate to her journey in big way, because I have gone through similar experiences in a different field. Despite everything, she has not let her focus shift and that’s what’s truly inspiring. Saaho is broken up into a number of schedules and I am going to be shooting for it in parts. Also, I am speaking in Hindi as well as in Telugu because it is my first bi-lingual film. For the Telugu dialogues, I memorise them and need no prompting. My director has still not made the final decision on whether I will have to dub for the film or not. But he does tell me that I sound like a local person and that makes me happy.
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