Janhvi Kapoor: “I have always been a proud sister”

Janhvi Kapoor Interview

After  the well-received Gunjan Saxena  and Roohi, Good Luck, Jerry is  Janhvi Kapoor’s third release during the Pandemic, and  perhaps  the most crucial film of her career so far. Tackling a totally transformative role, Jahnvi plays  a Bihari girl who gets  involved with drug trafficking.  Janhvi talks  to  Subhash  K Jha about the  challenges  ahead.

You have another major release coming up after Gunjan Saxena and Roohi. Butterflies?

More than butterflies, it is  excitement. Good Luck,Jerry is unlike  anything I’ve played so  far. Shooting this film was  exciting. I had so much fun with this  character. This film is  different  from anything I’ve do so far. I am just curious  and excited to know what the audience  thinks of  it.

Coincidentally this is your second remake of South Indian film where the actress   in  the original has scored big with critics. Is it intimidating doing roles that have already been sort of iconized?

It  was  a  challenge for sure to reinterpret  Nayanthara’s  role  in the Tamil Kolamaavu Kokila. But I enjoyed it. With every role, the excitement  comes from  doing something new.With  this film  and character  I had the chance to get into a world that is  so different from mine. My director  Siddharth Sengupta gave a lot of importance to being as authentic as  possible and living eating breathing like  Jerry and understanding  where she really came from , and also  on understanding  her language.  So I spent  a  lot of time with the dialect  coaches.My co-stars were either  from  Bihar or Punjab. They were  also very helpful in understand my character’s psyche.So I was  very relaxed on the set.I guess it  does feel  daunting  now, when people are reminding of the original performance. But I think as an actor it is interesting for me  to give my own interpretation to such iconic characters  and  performances. This   is my attempt at doing something they’ve done  and adding something  of my own to it.  I hope people  like  it.

Out of curiosity if you had to pick on one film of your mother’s for remake which would it be? Would you be scared of the comparisons?

I don’t have the audacity  to  pick any of her films and be in a remake. Because what she has done  to every   of hers is fully  untouchable. Any attempt to reinterpret them would fall really short.

Jerry is going straight to  OTT.Wouldnt you have preferred for it to be released in theatres first?

I would have  really preferred  if it was  a community experience  in theatres. But Disney+Hotstar has such  a large  viewership and  it’s   going to  reach  to so many people simultaneously, so I’m excited.

What are your other forthcoming assignments? Are you happy with your progress?

I m shooting  for Bawaal and Mr  & Mrs Mahi. Both are films I’m extremely  excited about, as they convey ideas that I believe in  my own life, I can’t reveal any more. All I will say is,  both are films very close my heart. Shooting them has been an an amazing  experience so far.

Your sister Khushi makes her debut in  Zoya Akhtar’s Archies.Are you going to be a proud and competitive sister?

I have always been a proud sister. I am  prouder now  for the  hard work she is  putting in  for her debut  film. She is giving  it her all. I can’t wait for  everyone  to see what I’ve always seen in her. I think she  is pure magic on screen. As a person, she is  all heart.And I think  we are  the biggest support system  for one  another. I know  we will always be  there for one another. Hopefully we will both do well in our careers.