It was not long ago that Sanah Kapur tied the knot with Mayank Pahwa and their illustrious familes led by Pankaj Kapur, Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa and Seema Pahwa celebrated the momentous occasion. And now, Sanah is playing the lead in a movie about matrimony called Saroj Ka Rishta. ETimes spoke to Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter's sister about her latest film, about working with her mother-in-law, breaking stereotypes and keeping social media negativity at bay. Read on...
What are you thoughts on body shaming? It's become largely prevalent on social media and a lot of female celebrities are subjected to it. I am against any kind of body shaming. And this is not just about being teased for being fat. I think body shaming comes in a lot of forms. Whether you’re too dark, too fair, too tall, too short, too fat, or too thin. I feel like, why are we judging people based on that? Who they are as human beings is more important. If everyone looked the same way, life would be boring. God has made us with variety. That variety and uniqueness of all of us make us special. Unfortunately, as a society, we go ahead and destroy what is special about us.
Have you ever tried to fit in or do you prefer being just the way you are?I think I like being who I am. But as an actor, it’s my job to take up a character and do justice to that. For that, I change because I try to adapt to each character. But in life, I am comfortable with who I am. It is natural for everyone to face insecurities. I also have my set of insecurities. But I think that I’m fortunate to have very supportive people and I have got love from them and they have accepted me for who I am. I want to tell people that they should accept everyone for who they are.
Does your character Saroj say the same thing in the film Saroj Ka Rishta?Yes, she says the same thing in the film. I am who I am. Who are you to judge me?
How did your mother Supriya Pathak react when this project came to you?I think she was happy because I was happy. When I read the script, I really wanted to bring this character to life. My mom has always been supportive of whatever makes me happy. She said, “Just go for it!” She was always there for me. I have the best mom.
Do you feel we're in a phase where content dictates what works at the box office rather than stardom?I hope so. I believe so. I think that everyone is trying to do whatever they are doing to the best of their ability and with all their heart. I think if you have a story that can reach people and touch them, somewhere it will work. Because with the OTT, content has now got a global reach.
Do you think content being served up by the Hindi film industry is falling short?I think every industry goes through its ups and downs. There’s a lot of good content out there as well. I miss the good old Bollywood rom-coms that I could watch with my family or girl gang and fall in love with the dreamy person on screen. That cinema gave me hope and belief that something or someone is out there for me, too. For me, Saroj Ka Rishta is like those rom-coms. I hope that the film gives hope to the people who watch it. There’s a certain beauty to love, which I think we are losing out a little bit.
Your mother-in-law, Seema Pahwa has directed the film. Do you plan on acting alongside her soon?Not with her, but I’m doing acting. I have just done a web show for Amazon Prime Video. I think there’s more interesting work nowadays. Different things are happening so it's a lot of fun being an actor. At least there’s an option to do different roles.
There’s plenty of music in the film. Do you think as an industry we have been ignoring the value of good music in the recent past?I think Bollywood music is everywhere. Beats and rhythm are in our bodies. Everyone used to say that Bollywood is all about singing and dancing in the streets. But the pandemic gave us TikTok, which is expressing yourself in different ways. We are dancing in the streets now to make reels. It has given millions of people the ability to express themselves. I don’t think we’re ignoring the music but I think we’re trying to imitate the West. We have equally amazing music sources and heritage of our own.
Is social media the hero or villain of modern times?I think social media is a coin. It has its good side and it has its bad side. You get a global presence. It helps you reach out but it also adds a lot of pressure that you’re always being watched.
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