It’s the first week of April, and these days, it feels as if Janhvi Kapoor is everywhere: in Andhra Pradesh where she spent her birthday with some close friends and visited the Tirupati Temple, returning to the runway as a showstopper at Lakmé Fashion Week’s first on-ground edition since the pandemic in New Delhi, and zip-lining in Ooty. You might have also seen her lunching, dining and partying with friends and family in Mumbai. And lighting up our Instagram feeds with her envy-worthy workout wardrobe.
Real deal
Like any other woke Gen Z-er, Janhvi places her identity at the heart of what she wears, how she dresses, and what she buys. She often cloaks herself in her roots, with crafts and weaves from her heritage and homeland. Other times, you’ll see the star infusing her street-style looks with fluidity and freedom. The last time I spoke to Janhvi she confessed her love for traditional styles and silhouettes, sharing, “Classic Indian pieces can make you feel pretty in a way that no other Western clothes can.”
That the 25-year-old humanises fashion with an individualistic, yet ever-evolving approach to it all is clear. And in an industry that venerates larger-than-life glamour, her down-to-earth aesthetic values is what makes Janhvi relatable and admirable.
The wedding hopper
She doesn’t, however, shy away from maxing wedding guest style, wearing everything from frothy lehengas to statement saris. She goes on to reveal the key pieces that make up her summer wedding wardrobe. “You’ll see me in a floral outfit for a day wedding, lightweight separates for a mehndi, and I love my shimmer, rhinestones and sequins for cocktail parties.” When in doubt, wear yellow, she suggests.
The serial wedding attendee also shares her two cents on destination affairs that often come attached with packed itineraries. “Don’t underestimate your need for sleep. At a destination wedding, you’re likely to wake up early and sleep late. The definite consequence is returning home and falling sick,” Janhvi says matter-of-factly, recounting several personal experiences. At a wedding, where are you likely to find her? “By the buffet,” she laughs. The actor, who often chronicles her culinary adventures on social media, says food makes her happy.
Living the dream
But Janhvi is happiest, always has been, she explains, when working and was “ecstatically” so when returning to a film set after a pandemic-induced hiatus. Earlier this year, Janhvi wrapped up the shooting for her upcoming movie, ‘Mili’, which is the first project with her father and renowned producer, Boney Kapoor. She has also commenced filming ‘Bawaal’ alongside co-star Varun Dhawan. While this is a maiden collaboration between the two actors, Janhvi will be reuniting with former Khush cover star Rajkummar Rao for ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’. Directed and produced by Karan Johar, this will be the second film based on cricket. “These are stories I feel so deeply involved with and the characters mean so much to me. And I feel so blessed to be doing both these films,” says Janhvi earnestly. She won’t tell me more about the plots, except that she hopes audiences like it as much as she does.
From playing the hopeless romantic in her debut ‘Dhadak’ and a witch in ‘Roohi’, to an Indian Air Force pilot in ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’ and a submissive nurse in the anthology horror film ‘Ghost Stories’, in many ways, Janhvi’s career has been predicated on being different. One of the biggest fears being an actor is not getting stereotyped, but “I’m most afraid of becoming repetitive and complacent,” she outlines. Janhvi doesn’t want to end up showing a limited range of her skillset as an artist. She credits several 3AM friends to guide her. “But my sisters Khushi and Anshula Kapoor, as well as my dad and Arjun bhaiya are my mentors. Their opinion matters the most to me and they are the most comforting people in my life.”
I prod further on how she balances between everyone’s advice and her individuality. “I have realised everyone is ready to give you their piece of mind. More often than not, they are wishing the best for you, but your experience is so individual to who you are and your journey is so different from everyone else’s so no one is going to know how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking. You need to have that wisdom to gauge a situation. My biggest learning is not to get attached to the high points or the low points. I don’t think I have seen extreme success or extreme failure. But I know that when it comes I know I will be prepared because I feel it is counterproductive to your growth and as an artist. And it can lead to many kinds of disillusions and I would like to keep that in check. The biggest unlearning is not to take ourselves seriously, even with social media. And I try to keep a check that it doesn’t happen. I just want to have fun with all of it and understand that fame, the glamour and the attention is a consequence of the job. The reward is acting. So I keep reminding myself why I am doing what I am doing. Love to me means my work right now,” she signs off.
All clothing & accessories: Tarun Tahiliani, www.TarunTahiliani.com
Editor-in-chief: Sonia Ullah
Photographer: Vansh Virmani
Guest Fashion Editor: Divyak D’Souza
Stylist: Tanishq Malhotra
Makeup: Riviera Lynn
Hair: Marce Pedrozo
Location: Suryagarh, Jaisalmer
Styling Assistants: Bhavya Jain
and Jhanvi Pallicha
Coordination By: April Studios
