Sonam Kapoor: The Playing Princess

You have a mixed bag of movies coming up. Is there a particular space you are trying to create for yourself?
I am trying to be a better artiste. I try not to do the same kind of roles over and over again. Fortunately or unfortunately, people have a short memory when it comes to certain things. Since I act in fewer movies and the characters I do are not similar, people tend to forget. I was a physiotherapist in Khoobsurat and in Neerja, I play an air hostess. I can learn and grow from the different experiences that these roles offer.

What’s the status of Neerja Bhanot’s biopic, Neerja?
The shooting of Neerja was wrapped up in May and the movie will hopefully release during the first quarter of next year. I always research for my roles and as far as Neerja is concerned, I am working with an amazing director, Ram Madhvani. I watched several home videos, and met Neerja’s family and friends too.

What has been your main struggle as an actor?
My main struggle has been that people tend to not take me seriously because of the way I am. People always want the underdogs to do well and I don’t come across as an underdog. Maybe I am too straightforward.

Did this not change for you after Raanjhanaa?
It obviously hasn’t. I do only one or two films in a year and my PR skills are not that great. Also, I am a bit abrasive and I do not come across as a diplomatic person. However, I don’t want to change. I would rather be a strong individual who has an opinion.

You worked in Aisha, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, and now Anuja Chauhan’s Battle for Bittora is being made into a film. Do you tend to lean towards love stories?
I have a special place for books and literature. Emma is a spoilt brat, and is my favourite Jane Austen character. Even though I had done Delhi 6 before Aisha released, I knew that people would identify with Aisha more. I like to push myself without fearing about the consequences. When I signed Raanjhana, I knew that the character of Dhanush was more loveable and mine had grey shades. My character in Bittora has a lot of flaws, which makes it interesting.

Is Fawad Khan playing the lead character in Bittora?
We have not made any announcement on this yet. We would like to have Fawad, who is like family to us.

Do you get involved with your home productions?
I am an actor. So, usually after giving suggestions, I step back. With Bittora, I will be more hands on since I bought the rights of Bittora and the project is mine.

How was your experience of doing the music video Dheera dheere with Hrithik Roshan?
I have known Tulsi and Bhusan Kumar for a really long time and the video was a homage to their father Gulshan Kumar. We shot it over two days. It was fun, and people liked Hrithik and me together.