Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor, who made her debut with the 2018 film Dhadak, always knew she had big shoes to fill. After all, she is the daughter of filmmaker Boney Kapoor and one of the sub-continent’s biggest superstars Sridevi. Her mother’s death just months before the release of her debut film only made her foray into Bollywood more complicated. Reflecting on her mother’s advice when the 26-year-old first shared her desire to become an actress and took the plunge, Janhvi told Elle, “My mother would have given me more advice than she did, especially leading up to my first film. Until then, our discussions about movies were limited to my observations of her reactions to films we watched together as a family. When I expressed my interest in filmmaking, she emphasised that I should be prepared for inevitable comparisons between my debut and her extensive filmography—something she considered inherently unfair.”
Adding that her mother asked her not to pay attention to such comparisons, Janhvi said, “She [Sridevi] stressed the importance of being the most authentic version of myself, experiencing emotions organically, and working diligently, underscoring the mantra ‘no pain, no gain.’”
About the mantle of Sridevi’s legacy falling on her shoulders as well as her sister, actress Khushi, Janhvi Kapoor said, “Navigating the responsibility of carrying forward a legacy is a complex theme in my life and occupies a significant space in my thoughts. It’s also a straightforward matter in some respects. Starting with the fact that I don’t have a clean slate, there’s an existing benchmark that I must strive to meet. The standards are exceptionally high, given the legacy set by my parents.”
Speaking on similar lines at Agenda AajTak 2023, Janhvi Kapoor had earlier said that ahead of her release, she had consciously wanted to be away from her mother as she had “an unfair advantage” due to her mother’s tremendous experience and stardom. “People were already saying ‘You got your first film because you are Sridevi’s daughter’. I decided I won’t take any help from her. I thought I had an unfair advantage. It will be more unfair if I took her advice. So, I told her ‘Please don’t come on set, I have to work on my own’,” she said.
Admitting that this remains one of her biggest regrets, Janhvi Kapoor added: “Sometimes, I feel it was stupid of me. I took all that nonsense a bit too seriously. I regret it… I know she was dying to come on set and help me as a mother. I just didn’t let her. One of the biggest regrets… I wish I had just said ‘Mumma, please come, I have a shoot. I need you’.
Sridevi is best known for her work in films such as Moondru Mudichu, Varumayin Niram Sigappu, 16 Vayathinile, Pokkiri Raja, Sadma, Chaalbaaz, Lamhe, Chandni and English Vinglish.
