Shanaya Kapoor makes her acting debut with Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan. The film, that releases in theatres on July 11, is an unconventional romance, with Vikrant Massey as Shanaya’s leading man. t2 caught up with the latest debutant from Anil Kapoor’s family and spoke to her about the film, what stirs the actor in her and the support she has got from parents Sanjay and Maheep Kapoor.
Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan is a love story but an unconventional one. From the reactions that have come your way for the teaser and the songs, what is the tenor of audience expectations?
It has been a very overwhelming feeling for me to have these assets come out and to see myself in them. It is a very exciting feeling. Audiences have responded in a positive way, and I have my fingers crossed. I am hoping that once the film comes out, there will be an even bigger and better reaction.
The first thing that has caught the eye of the viewer in the teaser is that I am in a blindfold. It is exciting for me to do a role like this because it is a challenge to show certain emotions without your eyes to help you express them. Audiences have reacted very positively to that... they said they could see a lot of emotion even though my eyes couldn’t be seen. My director (Santosh Singh) and I worked hard to ensure that emotions are communicated well just through my body language.
That must have been incredibly difficult....
It was. As prep, I had to wear a blindfold almost every day and had it on doing daily things like walking on the beach, walking in the lobby of my building.... I did chores with the blindfold on, including even a basic thing like brushing my teeth so that there is a sense of comfort as Shanaya with the blindfold and that translates on set when I play the character. I needed to be comfortable enough to move around on set and confident enough to catch on to my director’s notes. To be effortless on screen actually requires a lot of effort, especially for a character like this.
The director and I worked on every scene of the film. From page 1 to page 118, we recorded every scene on camera. As an actor, you work on a lot of techniques, but most of them involve the use of the eyes, which I didn’t have in this film. So if that is taken away, how do you still show it? There was a lot of work on the voice and on the body language. It was intimidating but also very exciting. I hope that when people watch the film, the message and the feeling comes through.
Is there anything in common between you and the character?
Yes, there is. The first time I read the script, it was like a member of the audience. But the second time I read it, I read it as an actor. I also read it asking myself the question: ‘Am I finding any relatability to this character? Are there some nuances in what she goes through, which is similar to what I have gone through?’
My approach and process as an actor is to find a lot of similarities between my life and her life and then look for a middle ground, and find some honest truth in that in-between moment. That is what gives me those true emotions in front of the camera.
When you get a character, you have to play it, but I try to find some honesty behind it. You have to open certain boxes in your personal life, maybe places that you don’t want to even go to, so that you can feel that for your character and connect that to her backstory and show it on screen.
What was it like to debut opposite an actor as versatile as Vikrant Massey?
It is an opportunity of a lifetime to share the screen with an actor like Vikrant Massey. He is phenomenal. He is very grounded as a person and very generous as an actor. He is deeply intuitive and he helped me every single day on set to stay present, to stay honest, to stay calm. Initially, I didn’t understand how important calmness is when doing a scene... one can’t be too hyper or nervous because the camera catches everything. Vikrant taught me that. He is the kind of actor who thinks about the scene as a whole, and not just about his character and what he has to do in a scene.
What was the first day on set like?
We started with a very challenging scene. I was nervous and overwhelmed. But the moment I stepped in front of the camera, I felt like this is meant to be, it felt like home. I shared it with Vikrant, Santosh and the producers, Mansi (who has also written the story) and Varun Bagla, and it is a feeling I will never forget. I am very new, I am a student and I am still grasping things, constantly learning. But I will also have those nerves... those won’t go away soon and I don’t want them to either.
Even before you have stepped into films, you are a fixture on paparazzi posts. Have you prepared yourself for more attention, and also more critique, once your film releases?
I know it is going to be very different once the film comes out. I am going to be putting my work out there for the world to see. It is a nerve-wracking feeling. I don’t think one can be prepared for it. But whatever criticism, whatever pressure, whatever I hear from the audiences... I always take it in a positive and constructive way, and work on it. I want to keep getting better at my work and that is what I am here for. And if I have to deal with a little bit of pressure here and there, that is valid enough. My biggest high is that I am getting the chance to face the camera and feedback from the audience and from the media is very important to me.
Have you always had this positive state of mind and the ability to accept everything that comes your way?
I have gradually grown into it. At the beginning, when I was out in front of the world and had cameras on me, I used to feel very insecure, I was not as confident. I wouldn’t feel good when I would hear certain things about how I look, about how I dress, how my body is... it was not the nicest feeling. I have now learnt to keep certain comments aside — like how I look, for example. But when it comes to my craft, my acting or my dancing, I take it in a very constructive way because I am yearning for feedback. I don’t want to run away from it. I do not want to sit and say: ‘I don’t want to see any of it because it bothers me’. No, it is my job, it is the least I can do as an actor! I always knew what I was signing up for. It has been quite a journey to get to this point but I am happy I am here.
Is that mindset also because of the family you come from, with the Kapoors being in the film business over decades and across generations?
Yes, of course. I see my family in the limelight constantly and I learn from them every day. Having said that, it is an individual feeling, an individual journey. As a person, you have to understand whether you can deal with this or not. I don’t think anyone can teach you that.
Some individuals don’t want to see it because they don’t want to focus on it; some individuals want to see it and they want to learn from it; some individuals are like: ‘Okay this bothers me... I don’t want to see too much of it’. So everyone has their own way of dealing with it and that is something that you learn by yourself. I have got this far on my own by learning, seeing, adapting and understanding how I am as a person.
Who in your family inspires you the most?
I don’t think I can choose. I have learnt from everyone, I am very proud of all of them... they have come up with a lot of hard work, passion and honesty. My dad (Sanjay Kapoor) and mom (Maheep) have been closely holding my hand through this journey. I always look to them for feedback and advice.
Even before your first film is out, there has been a very intriguing teaser of Tu Yaa Main with Adarsh Gourav, a creature feature that focuses on influencer culture. Is the desire to do something different with every single film the aim?
For me, script and story is everything and if there is a sense of challenge, it always excites me. I never want to take up a role because it is comfortable to do or is something I am not going to be intimidated by. I was fortunate enough to get the chance to audition for Tu Yaa Main.