Rhea Kapoor finds her role model in her dad and soulmate in her sister. She tells K Bhardwaj why she is determined to not act and carve her own path in the film industry
One thing that both Kapoor sisters, Sonam and Rhea, share, other than several aspects of life, is their admiration for talking to one and all. Rhea, who might have chosen to work behind the camera while being a shy one, doesn’t mind getting informal and pouring her heart out even in the first interaction over the phone. “Dude”, “Have you lost it”, “Are you kiddingIJ”, “You are mad” — she just talks like an old friend. Fresh from the “decent success” of Khoobsurat, the young producer of the movie, is quite excited.
“This is a small film like an underdog. I didn’t anticipate it would impress critics and the audience alike in equal measure,” she says labeling the appreciation as a reward for her risk-taking ability.
Initially, she was never sure about making the remake of Rekha’s landmark film. But the contemporary storyline as suggested by her director and the evergreen relevance of the theme convinced her. “The two protagonists who eventually brew some romance have contrasting backgrounds. That’s so cliché yet exciting. Then, this girl (as played by Sonam Kapoor) is so much in love with herself. She is so real and doesn’t care about her surroundings and the world. Just be on your own, that’s her message. You are always amazing the way you are. It’s a modern fairytale,” she throws some light on her project. The movie comes across as a desperate entertainer but Rhea emphasise on the ‘beautiful message’ that it carries. “We must not be judgemental about each other. Even media should not (laughs). It makes you stronger if you express yourself and don’t lose your own sheen,” she says.
While the movie was made keeping Sonam in mind, the star that perhaps attracted more attention than the Anil Kapoor’s daughter was our Pakistani import Fawad Khan. In fact, Sonam was seen cheekily taking a dig at media for ignoring her in press conferences. Rhea sounds fine about this courtesy towards Khan.
“Sonam and Fawad are good friends. We are proud to present him in India. There’s definitely curiosity about him. He’s a man of limited words and has mystery in his eyes,” she says.
Rhea doesn’t mince her words when we ask her thoughts about Khan. In one go, she says it all. “He’s ridiculously hot and a good actor. I myself love his passion for work and he has great sense of humour too. He doesn’t take himself very seriously and is extremely open-minded. What makes him sexier is the fact that he is a feminist. Since I am a staunch feminist myself, I find this quality extremely attractive,” (sigh) she says.
Would Rhea come out of her sister love and work with other heroines like Deepika or KatrinaIJ On this, she replies in a serious tone. “As a filmmaker, I have to be loyal towards my audience and give them the best. Sonam fitted the most in the films I have done so far. If I get a subject which allows me to look beyond her, I wouldn’t hesitate. I will never take my audience for granted,” she puts it straight.
Star-kids are often known for their friendships and parallel competitions among them. They are raised with certain expectations and media too love to typecast them. But she claims to be above of all that space.
“I cannot become something for others. When we were growing up, everybody used to ask me, ‘Aapka debut kab hainIJ’ I mean, you are told by the people what to do and how to stand. But dude, this is not my personality. I cannot let others control my life. I am not in that space that at all,” she says.
Rhea never dreamt of becoming an actor and since she knows what all it takes to become one, she is happy to be subsided in that space. “It’s very difficult. I just cannot take it. I can never become an actor,” she declares, adding, “Don’t you ask me this again.”
Being a daughter of a superstar, Rhea recognises her responsibilities but doesn’t feel the pressure. Her father always encouraged her to be independent and carve her own path. “All I know and my father knows that I want to do my best. In fact, all my movies have certain shades of my personality. So you can see me there. The legacy of my father inspires me to work harder and harder. He’s so energetic and keeps moving. He tells the same to both of us,” she says.
Among her contemporaries, Rhea is friends with Zoya and Farhan. “Javed sahab is close to our family. I find Zoya very inspiring. She is strong and a creative woman. Farhan is multi-talented. When you grow up, you see good and bad. Once you start working, you have razor sharp focus. People expect us to run when we want to take a step,” she signs off.