I am not too much into cliched filmy romance – Vaani Kapoor

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart… Vaani Kapoor, the new entrant in Bollywood is ready for the release of her big ticket from YRF titled Shuddh Desi Romance. In a tete-a-tete with Bollywood Hungama the actress talks about her dreams, romance, working with YRF and her debut film.

Shuddh Desi Romance being your debut film… How was it working with a big banner like Yash Raj Films?
It's absolutely delightful! I feel very blessed but at the same time, because it's YRF and they have shown so much faith and trust in me I feel very responsible to live up to their expectations. I have this fear and I hope I make them proud as an artist. Otherwise, I am quite happy that I got my first opportunity with a brand like YRF.

Has acting been your childhood dream?
I always had this thought in my head just like any other normal girl but I always found it impractical because I did not have a 'filmy' connection per say. My family is not from Mumbai and neither am I. So for me, moving out of Delhi to a city like Mumbai without having any confirmation or any hold didn't seem practical but I am glad everything worked out very easily in the end. Also, I guess acting gave me a sense of belonging because I wasn't sure of what I would have been doing otherwise. I was hopeless in life before it.

What is your idea of 'Shuddh Desi Romance'?
Actually to be honest I do not have a boyfriend. If I had one, I would be thinking about it. But if otherwise in general, I think there are different kinds of days in romance. Some days you want someone to make you feel very special and some other days where you would want to have a regular and casual day where you would like to watch a movie, have dinner, chit-chat and be back. I am not too much into clichéd filmy romance but romance should be in your normal daily life. Someone can make you feel special without going overboard or too much dramatization.

Tell us something about Tara…
Tara and Vaani are millions of poles apart. That's where I faced trouble because understanding Tara was the most challenging part. I would always question myself or Maneesh about why Tara is reacting like that in so and so situation. For me, it was important to be convinced because only then, I can convince the audience. But the conviction was missing. It took a lot of time for me because I have never come across a person who thinks like Tara. I do know that girls like her exist but I never had a friend like her. I am not very sorted like Tara. She is much focused and knows what she wants. She is straight forward and a go getter and has aspirations. And Vaani, at a personal level is very laidback. I never pre-plan, I am not sorted and I am not very clear about where I am heading. It's not a fictitious character and such women do exist but I never had a reference to count. In short, Tara is a very sorted and super cool girl!

How was it working with Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Parineeti Chopra?
Actually I was very afraid of Rishi Kapoor. He is this loud Punjabi personality and I had told him that he looks very adorable in his films but then he gave a confused look because he did not how to react and I, on the other hand, was wondering why I made that comment. Yet I would say that the actor is very friendly. I remember this incident when we had a get-together; he was trying to make me feel comfortable as he was chatting with me. He is not a mean person. But there were times when he used to be intimidating, or may be I felt so because I am new to the industry. When it comes to Sushant and Pari, they are of the same age and we share the same wavelength. Pari is very talkative whereas Sushant is very quiet and I am somewhere in the middle. But it was fun working with them.

How was it shooting in Jaipur?
I have stayed in Jaipur for 3 years before I took to acting. I was doing my internship there. So it's kind of nostalgic because there are roads that I am familiar with where I used to hang out with my friends. The treats, the shops, and because of all these, it feels very homely.

Your favourite track and music of the film…
I have two favourite tracks from the film. One is 'Gulabi' and the other is title track 'Shuddh Desi Romance'. I keep humming it and I love the part where the aunties keep saying 'Kaminey Hai Re' (laughs). I am completely hooked on to these two tracks in the film. And as far as the popularity is concerned, there are people who have come up to me and told me that they are in love with 'Gulabi'. So, I am happy that people are really in love with the music.

Any inhibitions about intimate scenes or donning a bikini?
I do not have any pre-conceived notions about them. As far as I am assured with the kind of production house I am working with and I know that they are shooting me in an aesthetic way without making it seem cheap and vulgar, I am fine with it. Also, very importantly I need to have a body to pull off a bikini well because I don't like to work out and I love junk food.

How have things changed after you entered Bollywood?
I don't think I have entered Bollywood as yet. I am still very disconnected with the industry. I have always been within YRF and have never met anyone from outside. So I am still very clueless about how the industry works. On the personal front, I get to meet people like Parineeti and Sushant who are of the same age group and I can relate to them because they are in the same profession as I am. YRF is more like family. Even if I am a newcomer, I feel very comfortable and safe with them. But as far as my nature is concerned, I guess I am still the same.

You are also doing the Tamil version of Band Baaja Baarat. Do you face a lot of pressure to live up to the expectations of the original?
I hope I get lucky and my film does as well as its original. I know that it's a remake and to re-create the magic is a tough task. And another challenge I face is that I don't know the language. I have to express in a language which I don't understand. But I am glad that once again I will be doing a performance oriented role where people can relate and connect to me as an actor. Also, they wouldn't think that I am just about anyone who got lucky. I am glad that I am getting the opportunity to prove my talent at the initial stages of my career. Yes, I do fear sometimes – what if it doesn't score as well as the original. But me and my co-star are trying to be different from the original counterparts because we are different personalities and the movie is based on a completely different culture. I did this role because Aditya had faith in me and he approached me with the belief that I can pull it off really well. I owe it to him and I have to prove it to him more than anybody else.

Article written by staff at Bollywood Hungama. Read more