New Delhi: Shanaya Kapoor, daughter of actor Sanjay Kapoor and Maheep, just made her debut at ‘le Ba’l in Paris and is now eagerly waiting to be launched in Mumbai as an actress. She has said that if the ‘most amazing director’ Karan Johar will ever direct her, then she will get emotional and ‘just die’.
Karan has brought in many fresh faces to the Hindi film industry. Some of them include Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Shanaya’s cousin Janhvi Kapoor.
Shanaya was asked if she would want Karan Johar to launch her as an actress. She was full of excitement when she answered: “I mean, yeah! I don’t think any actor would say no. He is family. He is talented and the most amazing director. I think I would start crying if Karan ever directs me. I would get emotional and just die.”
If not an acting project, the 20-year-old did get a chance to be an assistant director on the upcoming film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl backed by KJo.
“As soon as my school was done, my dad and mom were like go to LA or New York and do a course,” she recalled.
But Shanaya was focussed on getting into the film industry. “The best education you get is by being on a film set. Karan has always been there,” Shanaya asserted.
Before entering the film world as an actor, she wanted to be an assistant director and Karan helped her. “He told me ‘there is this movie that Janhvi is doing’,” Shanaya informed.
“It was a big jump from school. It was the best experience of my life. After being an assistant director, I realised how much work goes into making a film. I learnt so much about camera lenses, close-up shots, how you get into the character, how you shoot an angry scene, what are the things that actors do on set. All this just made me more confident of what I wanted to do,” added Shanaya.
She is yet to sign her first film as an actress though. “I have not finalised anything yet. I don’t want to rush into something. I think your first movie is like your baby, you are so protective. I am open to all kinds of scripts. I think the industry is changing so rapidly. The movies that you don’t expect to do well, become blockbusters. It has become so content based,” Shanaya stated.
“I am looking and trying to find someone who is making a great film. There are so many directors. It will be an honour to work with them,” said the youngster, who has taken belly dancing classes, among other things.
Her close friend and actress Ananya Panday had also made her debut at the ball event before her.
“She (Ananya) is like a sister to me. I asked her a lot of questions like ‘how do you do this, what happens at the rehearsal, will I have trouble making friends?’ She was like super chill about it. She said ‘I was the same, freaking out, so just be yourself and have fun’,” said Shanaya.
Will their other close friend, Suhana – daughter of superstar Shah Rukh Khan – follow suit?
“I think Suhana is in a different zone right now… the college zone. She is doing so well in New York. She is meeting so many people from different cultures. Ananya and I are focussing on our careers more,” she said.
Agencies