Janhvi Kapoor slams 'humanity in shambles' as Sridevi's death became memes, calls Dharmendra incident 'worse': 'I don’t even know how to compute it'

Since her debut with ‘Dhadak’ in 2018, Janhvi Kapoor has steadily carved out her space in Hindi cinema. But her journey began under immense personal loss, following the sudden death of her mother, Sridevi. This year has been especially significant for her, marked by multiple releases and the recognition of ‘Homebound’ as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Over time, Janhvi has built a filmography defined by demanding roles in projects like ‘Gunjan Saxena’, ‘Good Luck Jerry’, ‘Mili’ and ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’.

Janhvi Kapoor on seeking self-respect in fame

Back in 2023, Janhvi opened up to Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story about her deep yearning for respect. Returning to the show again, she revealed a transformed mindset. “Over the past couple of years, one thing I have learnt for sure is that unless you respect yourself, nobody else will,” she said. Fame arrived effortlessly due to her family legacy, she noted, so attention and visibility were never the issue. She said, “I was just waiting for the day someone walked up to me and said, ‘I respect you.’ But honestly, until you recognise your own skill set and what you bring to the table, nobody else will.”

Janhvi Kapoor opens up on the pain of losing Sridevi

During the same interview, the actress reflected on the tough time after losing her mother, a tragedy mocked through online jokes and memes mere months prior to her film debut. Janhvi said that the phase she went through then is something she will never be able to fully verbalise. She further explained, “Even if I told you everything, I don’t know if anyone would relate. I am always conscious about sounding like I am saying things to make people feel bad for me, so I refrain a little. I know everyone wants a headline, and I would hate to sound like I am using such a painful part of my life—or my relationship with my mother—for that. So that always holds me back.”

Janhvi Kapoor slams voyeuristic media culture

She continued, “The voyeuristic nature of journalism, media culture and social media has single-handedly contributed to the derailment of human morality. When I lost my mom, it was horrible. I don’t know if anyone can imagine how it feels to lose someone so close and then watch it become a meme. I don’t even know how to compute it. And it’s only gotten worse. We saw what happened with Dharam ji. It’s happened repeatedly before and will only keep happening. And we are part of the problem—every time we give such videos or headlines views, comments, likes, we incentivise this culture.”

Janhvi Kapoor on the depressing moral decline

Labeling the scenario “depressing,” she criticized the decline in ethical standards today. “Humanity and morality are in shambles. Earlier, we had a conscience that stopped us from seeing certain things, saying certain things, indulging in certain practices. That’s out the window now. It’s disgusting that our modern-day crisis is the loss of morality because everything has become so voyeuristic.”

Kapoor revealed that due to the brutal media handling of Sridevi’s demise, the 20-year-old Janhvi faced a temporary restriction on TV viewing back then. She wasn’t allowed to watch TV for a lot of that phase, but things still kept coming up. It hurt her as a daughter, and it was confusing. She doesn't think she will ever recover from it. But her anger wasn’t just as a daughter, it was about what we, as a society, have become.

Janhvi Kapoor on the work front

Janhvi Kapoor was last seen in the movie, ‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumar’. The film also features Varun Dhawan, Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf.

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here