‘It’s never not going to hurt’: Janhvi Kapoor reveals her dreams of late mother Sridevi

The actor continued, “This was an aspect of mom I looked up to the most. If she decides to do something, she used to go into that lane completely. That’s how she looked at family life. Her self got erased and she put that chapter of her professional life behind her and concentrated solely on her duties as a mother and a wife. That’s what I was also exposed to, until we came of age and she returned back to her professional life.”

Janhvi Kapoor further recalled her mother Sridevi crying over the phone inconsolably for missing her husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi Kapoor’s birthday due to a movie shoot. “I remember when she was shooting English Vinglish. She scheduled the shoot of the film in a way that it coincided with our summer vacations. For some reason, they couldn’t match some schedule in New York, and she missed Khushi and Papa’s birthday. She was on the phone with us crying every day after pack-up for a week. You can’t imagine that this person is a megastar when the most important thing in her day is sadness about missing her kids’ birthday.”

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The late actor’s main focus was to keep her family hearty and healthy. “Of course there was always a crowd wherever she went. We lived a very sheltered, privileged, and protected life, but she never carried the weight of whatever she has achieved. Her focus was getting a good pomfret fish with chutney, to make it for her family. Her favourite thing was to put oil on papa’s head and give a massage hoping some hair would finally start growing, but he had to get a transplant eventually,” Janhvi said.

Ram Charan’s father, megastar Chiranjeevi and Janhvi Kapoor’s late mother Sridevi worked in several films together, including the blockbuster Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari. And now, their children are awaiting the release of their upcoming film, Peddi. Talking about the same, the 29-year-old shared, “It sounds very similar. Every time I hear sir (Ram Charan) speaking about Chiranjeevi sir and when I reminisce about mom, I think the school of thought was very similar. In terms of discipline, hardwork, and sincerity.”

She further added, “But, one thing that she said always stayed with me, ‘You can never lie to the camera.’ If you are a good person, then all of your performances will connect on one level or another. She used to tell that I need to work on being a good and honest person first, and then only it will show in your performance.”

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Janhvi Kapoor, who is often compared to her mother Sridevi, admitted that there’s no one like her and there can never be. “Let’s be pragmatic. I don’t think I am being compared to a level where people expect me to be as good as Sridevi; it’s a fact that no one can be her. The comparison is more in the tonality of ‘Can she live upto what her mother created?’ I think even that is an impossibility. My endeavour is just to honour her legacy, do what I can to take it forward. I am just grateful for the opportunities that I get because it makes me happy, and it keeps her memory alive as well.”

When asked if Sridevi’s death still hurts her, Janhvi got emotional and said, “It’s never not going to hurt. If you ask me, I would say I’m not in denial. But it’s so funny, I sometimes have these dreams where it feels like she has gone on a trip and is coming back. In my dream, that is a reality.”

“I feel the most connected to her in two places – one is when I am in front of the camera, which is why it means so much to me. And when I go to Tirupati, which is why I do it too much. That’s why I am so obsessive and hyper about being on the sets, and trying to take that flight to go to Tirupati. It’s when I feel most at peace, most connected, and when I can hear myself and maybe her also a little bit,” the actor concluded.

Sridevi passed away on February 24, 2018, in Dubai, at the age of 54. The actor accidentally drowned in a bathtub after losing consciousness.

Disclaimer: This article features personal reflections and emotional remembrances surrounding family loss and legacy. It is shared purely for informational and entertainment purposes and does not constitute psychological, medical, or professional advice.