‘IN 99% FILMS, I HAD PROGRESSIVE ROLES’

Sonam Kapoor talks about her USP and responsibility as an actor, and how hard it is to wait for great films

Her first release of 2018, Pad Man, was a big success and actor Sonam Kapoor couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year. Even as she is thrilled with “the unanimous appreciation” that the film received, she talks about the struggle to get great roles and why she needs to be “responsible” in terms of the characters she portrays.

At this point, how important is the length of your role in relation to the impact of the subject?

In my career so far, I’ve done films where my role is not central but made an impact — whether it was Delhi 6 (2009) or Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013). My role in both these films were much smaller than my role in Pad Man. I don’t think the length of the role really matters. What matters is, does it have enough meat? What is the impact that the role has in a story? The biggest challenge for an actor is to do all that can be done in the given space.

The part that excites me is the way I can add gravitas to a role. In a film like Pad Man, we wanted people to have a conversation about this topic.

Who is the hero opposite you, what is the length of your role, all these are wrong thought processes to begin with. After Neerja (2016), it was important for me to do a role that said something.

How important is it for you to do films that are relevant and not just entertaining?

I’m a big fan of entertaining films. There are so many actors doing amazing roles in entertaining films. I feel very proud to say that in 99% of the films that I’ve done, my role has been progressive — be it Raanjhanaa (2013), where I played a grey character, or Khoobsurat (2014), where my character said, ‘I am not going to change myself.’ Everyone is talking about freedom of expression, but I feel we live in a society where we can’t say what we want. It sometimes feels we live in a society where it’s okay to be regressive. Cinema has a huge impact on the mindset of people; we need to be responsible.

How difficult is it to wait for a film like Neerja?

It’s very difficult. It’s the hardest thing to say no to big projects. Sometimes, I do feel like I’d have got more roles had I done that film or if I had that hit. But all my films have been commercially successful films. There are insecurities, but it’s what it is. The one thing that we all should be taught is to have courage and the right intentions.

PHOTO: AALOK SONI/HT Sonam Kapoor at HT India’s Most Stylish Awards 2018, held earlier this year