Dream on: In conversation with Shanaya Kapoor on finding her rhythm as an actor

“The fools who dream”—a saying Shanaya Kapoor recalls towards the end of our conversation, uttered by Mia (played by Emma Stone) in La La Land (2016), a film she labels as one of her favourite comfort watches. She speaks highly of the character for the resilience to keep reaching for something more, of being vulnerable enough to fall flat on your face, and still show up the next day with your heart open. She calls it emotional bravery—an idea that seems to follow her far beyond a film set, and a quality, I realised, that is conspicuous in her personality. The actor joins the call with an easy warmth, fresh off a girls’ trip, as she tells me. And the post-holiday lightness carried through as we began our conversation. 

Two films into her career and many more to come, the 26-year-old, like many of her peers, is navigating through the nuances of being an actor while finding her own footing in an industry she has grown up around. Divesting herself of the expectations that come with her last name, Kapoor believes in bringing her most honest and vulnerable self in front of the camera. “I'm an open book on set,” she says, adding how she is only trying to be present in the moment. She thinks of herself as someone who is an extremist, a Scorpio trait that she brings into her personal and professional life alike. “It’s like [I’m] all in or nothing. There’s no half-half!” she quips. Whether it is the friends she considers family; embracing the spontaneity of working in the South Indian film industry; the energy she feels in front of the camera, or the comfort she finds in her own company, the actor seems to approach the things that matter to her with the same wholeheartedness.

From candid personal anecdotes and her unwavering loyalty to her off-duty look and the rituals that keep her grounded, Kapoor talks to Bazaar India about finding her rhythm in the industry, offering glimpses of the person behind the actor.

Harper’s Bazaar: There’s an interesting contradiction in acting—you have to be completely vulnerable while also being aware that hundreds of people are watching. How are you learning to navigate that?

Shanaya Kapoor: I participated in a summit recently. I was so nervous to talk on stage in front of 50 people. That day I realised how weird it is that when I'm in front of the camera, with even hundreds of people around me, I don't feel nervous at all. And I've been behind the camera, so I know literally the ins and outs of what everyone's doing on set. And I think that's what makes me feel close and connected to them. During my first film, I became good friends with our DA while during my latest project, I used to crack jokes in between takes with everyone on set. With the camera, I follow this ritual wherein I touch the camera and say hi to. I do this energy exchange before I do my first take. These are the small ways I use to navigate, just feeling as comfortable in front of the camera and cutting out the noise.

HB: What would make you read a script and think, “I have to be part of this”? Is it the character, the director, the story, or something more instinctive?

SK: I think it's all of this.I don't think you can just choose one thing. But of course, there are certain directors who are on my list. It reminds me of this interview of Matt Damon where he recalled that Christopher Nolan called him and said ‘The Odyssey’. He said, “That's it. I'm in! I don't need to hear more.” I also have such directors with whom it will be a privilege to work with. When I'm reading a script, it should make me feel scared about how I am going to do this. I like to treat it as a challenge. It keeps you on your toes, and not falling back on things that you've done before, but pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. 

HB: How much of your growing up has happened alongside your closest girlfriends—and would you say you’re a girl’s girl?

SK: It's funny because I just came back from a girls' trip. My friends are my backbone. They know the most embarrassing things about me. They laugh with me, at me. I'm very grateful for the friends I have, because of the industry that I'm in, the work that I do, and the kind of person I am. So yeah, I would say I'm a girl’s girl, of course.  

HB: When the noise around you gets loud—whether it’s opinions, comparisons, or expectations—what brings you back to yourself?

SK: I like spending time with myself a lot. I enjoy my company. When things get too noisy, I try to just spend time with myself, even if it's just me at home—watch a movie, put on a candle, write in a journal, listen to something that calms me down and [it] centres me. I spend time with my mom, or just do things that make me feel whole. 

HB: You have also worked on a South Indian film, which gives your journey a slightly wider canvas from the beginning. What did working in a different film industry or environment teach you about acting that you might not have discovered otherwise? 

SK: I'm very used to prepping, doing workshops, blocking the scenes way beforehand, rehearsing the action months before the shoot and used to going on set a day prior to filming that scene just to get comfortable with the set and the surroundings of where I'm shooting. But in the South film [industry], you have to be on your toes. Anything can be thrown at you on the day and you have to be ready for it. Things are planned on set. Sometimes you get a scene on set and you have to be able to click into it immediately and trust the director's instinct as well as your instinct. 

It's all very larger than life. Everything is at a larger scale—the set, the action, the pieces, the costume. That's very exciting, but it can get very overwhelming as well. I think it taught me to trust myself as an actor and be malleable and not rigid in a certain way. 

HB: What is Shanaya’s definition of fashion? When you’re dressing entirely for yourself, without a red carpet or a camera in sight, what does your style look like?

SK: It's effortless, minimal, and classic. If I have to put an outfit together that just equals who Shanaya is and how she dresses, it would just be a white shirt, blue denim, black loafers, a tote bag and black sunglasses—as simple and as effortless as that. I don't like overdoing it. What you would find me in 24/7 are sweatpants and a white tank top and my hair up in a claw clip. Literally, it's a problem. I wear that constantly. 

HB: The idea of a ‘perfect body’ has evolved so much. What does that phrase mean to you, especially as someone in the public eye?

SK: I'm learning how to take care of my body. It's not something that I have all figured out. A perfect body means being healthy, taking care of myself, and feeling the optimum in my body and skin. [When] everything else goes down the drain, you have to feel good in your body. After a workout, you don't instantly see the result, but you instantly feel good. Focusing more on the internal is important for me. 

HB: When you imagine the woman and actor you want to become five years from now, what do you hope hasn’t changed about you?

SK: The hunger, the nerves, the scared feeling when I'm stepping onto set, that drive, and passion. 
I have had the privilege to see Shah Rukh Khan on set. I've seen that no matter what—whether it is his 100th film or 200th film—he still has that passion that drives onto the tiniest of details on set. His drive to make a scene perfect is a huge inspiration. And this is one of the many qualities that I hope to always carry forward in my career. Even my uncle, Anil Kapoor, for that matter. I see him talk about a scene of his character and how he wants to add a certain trait to it. And he's going through a loop trying to figure out what that would be. Even after you reach a point in your career and still have that passion and drive is incredible. It is not a matter of five years. It's for a lifetime in any field, in anything that you do to have that drive and never be complacent, never take anything for granted, and always be excited doing what you're doing, and being grateful for it. That's something that I definitely want to carry on forever.

Editor: Rasna Bhasin (@rasnabhasin)
Interview: Jhanvi Duggal (@jhanvii.23)
Photographer: Tuhin Chandra (@tuhin_chandra)
Stylist: Dolla Baruah (@dollaypop)
Cover Design: Mandeep Singh Khokhar (@mandy_khokhar19)
Make-up Artist: Riddhima Sharma (@riddhimasharma)
Hair Artist: Hiral Bhatia (@hiralbhatia)
Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)
Assistant Stylist: Tanya Doshi (@tanyaa14) and Shrushti Nisar (@shrushti.nisar.9)
Assistant Coordinator: Shruti Gupta (@howdoyousayshruti)
Artist PR Agency: Think Talkies (@think_talkies)

Shanaya is wearing Hotfix bodysuit, H&M X Elie Saab (@hm) (@eliesaabworld)

Also read: Kiara Advani is stepping into a role of her own

Also read: Not to drop lore, but, Dolly Parton’s a literal angel