“Frankly, my dear I don’t give a damn.” These were Rhett Butler’s last words to Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 cult classic, Gone With The Wind. And when these memorable words are spoken by Sonam Kapoor, who is attending the Cannes Film Festival as L’Oreal Paris ambassador, they had just as much bite.
Kapoor was responding to the topic of online trolling and memes poking fun at celebrity fashion choices.
“Honestly, it is not a big deal because if I ever gave a [expletive] about who’s saying what to the clothes I wear or what I do in my life, I wouldn’t be here doing the movies I did. And when you master the beat of your own drums, then you have your own path. People recognise that and people respect that,” said Kapoor in an exclusive interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
As far as acknowledgments go, the daughter of actor Anil Kapoor has enjoyed an eventful and fortuitous 2017.
Apart her turn at the prestigious Cannes red carpet this year, Kapoor was recently decorated by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee and given a special mention at the Indian National Awards for her role in Neerja, playing the real-life flight attendant Neerja Bhanot who died trying to save passengers during a plane hijacking.
“It’s great to be validated by awards. And let me tell you that it feels completely different when you go up on stage and the president of our country is giving you an award. Oh my god. It makes you realise that you are actually good at your job. It’s amazing to be validated for something that you have worked so hard for,” said Kapoor.
But the going wasn’t always easy for an actress who was scrutinised for her edgy fashion choices rather than her acting skills.
“But honestly, the movie itself was a reward. Playing Neerja, who was a girl who was so compassionate, young and brave was an honour. What she did was incredible and amazing… And now coming to Cannes, it was like decompressing because I am in the middle of a shooting two films at the same time. So here I am, I look at the sea and I just want to jump into it,” said Kapoor, who attended our call in the midst of a photoshoot.
According to her, she’s rolling with all the action. So how’s she prepping for the big night?
“It’s like playing dress up and you get to do that on a world’s stage,” said Kapoor with a laugh. The idea of experimenting with make-up and cherry-picking gowns created by world’s top designers isn’t a shabby deal. Kapoor realises that it is a privilege reserved for few.
“I don’t take my prep too seriously and you have seen the stuff I wear — they are incredibly beautiful and I feel you just need to be happy and have fun with what you are doing. I have an incredible team with me and all I need to do is walk on the red carpet, enjoy some cool music that plays on the red carpet and learn to go with the flow,” said Kapoor. She has aced that fashion game to its last thread by choosing Elie Saab on two occasions. And yes, she has given up bread and is looking forward to biting into a Pain au Chocolat and some French cheese on the last day of her trip.
She claims she’s so chilled out that she doesn’t hand out a brief to her stylists, led by her sister Rhea Kapoor, with whom she has a high-street brand called Rheson (pronounced reason).
“I feel like everybody who is here knows their job so well. Whether it is my make up artist Namrata [Soni] or whether it is my sister who is my stylist or the wonderful team from L’Oreal, they know their jobs and I trust them a lot. I just sit on a chair and they put their stuff on me,” said Kapoor, who will often be spotted checking her phone rather than keeping tabs on them.
Her mantra to own the life of a public figure is painfully simple.
“I try to do what I can do and I never take myself too seriously. That is the most important thing,” said Kapoor. Her eyes are always on the big picture.
“I like to represent my country on a world stage because I love my country.”
If you look closely, her quest for world domination is progressing one couture gown after another. Even in her fashion choices, Kapoor who is attending the Cannes Film Festival since 2011, has managed to squeeze in Indian ethnic touches. Her Elie Saab gown has a train with swathes of fabric may remind you of a sari.
“I like to bring in elements whenever I can and in whatever I do.”
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On her actor-father coming off as a doting dad who was eager to take pictures during the National Award ceremony:
“We are the third generation in the film industry and my dad is incredibly proud of me, I guess. The moment that you saw is something that my dad did when I was in school after my performances. Imagine, the President of India is on stage and he has gotten up and was taking [pictures] on his phone. I ran off stage, but it was very sweet. It was a sweet moment.”
On her diet regime:
“I am a vegetarian and I believe in taking care of myself. I do what I can do to look good. But right now, I am dreaming of cheese and having a Pain au Chocolat, hot from the oven, first thing in the morning even before the bakery opens.”
