‘WON’T MIND DOING A NEGATIVE ROLE’

Actor Sonam Kapoor wants to do challenging roles that let her express her beliefs

Actor Sonam Kapoor is riding high with her lauded performance in Pad Man. She says it is important for her to play roles that reflect the social conscience in these “difficult times”. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

After Neerja (2016), Pad Man is another high point in your career. You are evolving fast. So much at such a young age.

Thank you. But I am not that young any more... I have only directors like Ram Madhvani (Neerja) and R Balki (Pad Man) to thank for this. I am a director’s actor. And I’ve never shied away taking on a role for its length. Neerja was all mine. But in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), I was there for just a brief playing time.

Now, Pad Man is definitely not all mine. But it’s important for me to be part of cinema that addresses important social issues. There is no point in just doing entertaining cinema any more. That, to me, would be very khokhla (hollow). There has to be a relevance to it beyond just having a good time at the movies.

Why do you say that?

Because we are going through very difficult times. Those of us who have a platform and a voice, must use it to express what we believe in. Pad Man addresses menstruation which is a huge issue for a majority of women in our country. It didn’t take me long to say yes to Pad Man. And I’m so glad I did it.

Farhan Akhtar was telling me he would not do roles that set the wrong precedent in today’s troubled times. He wouldn’t play a serial rapist or a child molester just to be challenged as an actor. Your take?

I wouldn’t mind doing a negative role provided it does not glorify the character or make her negativity a virtue. As an actor, we are put in a sensitive spot nowadays. I have to showcase my personal ideology while at the same time I need to do parts that challenge me as an actor.

We are going through very difficult times. Those of us who have a platform and a voice, must use it to express what we believe in. SONAM KAPOOR ACTOR

The menstruation issue is still kept under wraps in our home. The film makes us think about why we need to be so secretive and squeamish about a natural bodily function.

It’s a social conditioning. We are used to talking about these things in hushed tones. We hope to open up a conversation with this film.

Sonam Kapoor stars in R Balki’s Pad Man