Janhvi Kapoor, who plays an avid cricketer Mahima in her upcoming love story Mr. & Mrs. Mahi alongside Rajkummar Rao claims that it’s not a sports film. In an exclusive chat with The Free Press Journal, actress talks about her box office failures, her OTT fanbase, what pushes her to do varied roles and more. Excerpts:
What pushes you to choose different roles each time?
I always want the numerical conversion of the films I do or the roles I decide to play. I constantly seek validation for my work. My last theatrical hit was my debut film Dhadak, Roohi came out in the pandemic but since we opened up with 50% capacity, it was a success for the times we were living in. But I don’t count it as a success. Mili didn’t do well the box office. Once I will get that numerical validation, then I start to believe that I am doing well.
Go on…
The constant hunger of doing varied roles justifies for me to be an actor. Through my work, I learned to fly a helicopter, I fully learned how to play cricket as a sport, I spent 21 days in a freezer with a rat. I even spent so many days in Patiala and seen the interiors of my country in Punjab and Udaipur for that matter. I feel lucky to have gotten so much exposure. I could speak more Telugu than as a child because of the film I am doing. That’s where the fuel comes from I guess.
Your films have a commonality of a beautiful bond with either of your parents. Is it a conscious decision to do emotionally challenged roles?
I think I am drawn to such kind of stories or characters. As an actor, the emotional growth and an arch to my character excite me. I always asked a question my director that where does my character starts and how she is finishing in the end.
Did you sign Mr. & Mrs. Mahi for being a sports film since they are a safe bet commercially?
No, I don’t think so they are a safe bet. There are a couple of cricket films that haven’t done well at the box office. In fact, we have been told that it’s not safe for us to release our film in between IPL and the World Cup. Also, my film is not a cricket film, it’s a love story and about dreams.
Is Rajkummar Rao a very giving co-actor?
I can trust him and he has been a big support while filming for the scenes. He is very genuine and real as a person.
Keeping your BO failures aside, do you think you are an OTT star?
I hope I have a fanbase on both films and OTT. I do have uncertainties that comes from the conditioning also. There are professional hazards and people put you down too.
