Khushi Kapoor opens up on fame, digital spotlight, and finding magic in imperfection

Being a Bollywood buff all my teens to now in my late twenties, I’ve seen music reinvent itself, films adapt to shrinking attention spans, OTT rewrite the script, and the spotlight turn to the students who’ve become the masters—the Gen Z. As the year draws to a close, I couldn’t help but reflect on how 2025 was dedicated to debutants, and how Bollywood’s new era belongs to the ones who’ve once been raised by films to be in it finally. And my conversation with actor Khushi Kapoor fittingly mirrors this generational shift.

I’ll admit, a small part of my anxiously excited self came prepared for a breezy Gen Z exchange, but little did I know, I was in for a rather thoughtful chat that surprised me in the best way. Post our warm greetings over the Zoom call, she lets out a light laugh, “It’s my off day today,” she says, assuring me I’m not catching her in the middle of a busy schedule. If there’s one thing I learned about Kapoor a few minutes into the conversation, she approaches life with surprising clarity. Her motto is based on the premise of going with the flow. “Initially, I was very rigid, but as I’ve got older, I’ve realised the importance of being able to go with the flow—I’ve learned how to adapt, evolve, and surrender,” she admits, reminding me that Gen Z’s learning curve is quicker and sharper than they’re given credit for. She pauses and adds, “When you try to go against the wave, everything can start to work against you. You have to roll with the punches, allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling, and work with that, and I think that can create a different kind of magic on its own.”

Perhaps her clarity comes from the world she’s watched up close long before she entered it. Coming from a film background, contrary to cliches, the stage might have always been ready for her, but she anchored herself before stepping into the spotlight. “I’ve been privileged to grow up with people who’ve kept me grounded. It’s really easy to get swayed by the way the industry works and to become a bit deluded. But seeing my family and my sister go through the same journey has taught me so much about the process, the highs and the lows, and reminded me that nothing is permanent, and you can always change your own path,” she adds.

From The Archies (2023) to Loveyapa (2025), Kapoor is three films down and is still discovering her rhythm. “This field allows you to pick up new skills based on the films you’re doing. There’s so much learning in the process. One thing I’ve noticed is that with each workshop I do before a film, I enjoy finding pieces of myself in the characters I play, and that part of acting is really exciting to me,” reflects Kapoor.

Her balanced approach to work makes her authentic and confident in her own skin, on her own terms—a subject our generation masters pretty well. “It’s extremely important to stay in touch with yourself and not get swayed by what you think you’re supposed to look like,” she asserts. Perfection isn’t a mould to shrink into; instead, for her, it goes far beyond what the world constantly watches. “The phrase 'perfect body' has changed so much for me from when I was a teenager to now. I’ve learned that you can keep striving for what you think the perfect body is, but if you’re not mentally at peace with yourself, that pursuit becomes harmful. So, today, for me, the perfect body is the healthiest version of myself, whatever that may look like for me,” she shares.

That said, the actor’s heightened self-awareness is impossible to miss. Living in the public eye, she is no stranger to the noise online. But, by now, I know, the actor steers clear of outside voices. Growing up in an era shaped by algorithms and endless opinions, she refuses to be swayed by the quick fixes of the digital space. Instead, she keeps herself cushioned from its extremes, looking at the two sides of the coin with one guiding principle: mindfulness. “Now more than before, we’re able to celebrate so many different types of people and bodies, and be open to things we weren’t as accepting of earlier, but that’s not to say we aren’t still photoshopping pictures of models on covers, or even editing pictures of ourselves before posting them,” she notes. “So I can’t say it’s one or the other—it’s a bit of both. In an age of AI, it’s so easy to get tricked, as long as you are mindful about what you’re consuming, I think it’s okay.”

A conversation with Kapoor cannot end without talking about fashion, and she senses it coming before I even ask, smirking like she’s in on the cue. From watching her strut down the runway for Gaurav Gupta exuding Indian chic, or Rimzim Dadu’s contemporary edge, to now as she strikes a pose on the rustic walls of our set, her fashion philosophy, much like her worldview, thrives on fluidity and shapeshifts with instinct. “It keeps changing depending on my mood. Lately, I’ve been feeling the minimal, chic aesthetic, but there are days I wake up and think, I just want to be shiny. I want to be a big disco ball and see what that looks like,” she agrees. And this versatility is what makes her stand out, believes Bikram Bose, photographer. “It was a lovely experience making these photographs with Khushi. I had an idea for this shoot—a mood inspired by the clothes, and Khushi was the perfect collaborator to help execute it. She got what I was trying to achieve right away and really brought it to life,” he shares.

Minimalist or maximalist, no matter the mood she chooses to be in, what suits her the best is staying true to herself. It is a takeaway she inherited from the strong personalities she grew up with. Just like every teenager, sibling camaraderie became her quiet compass, and sisterhood became her safety net—one that shapes the way she views both herself and the world. “I feel grateful to have had such a strong support system,” she shares. “Having them uplift me, nurture me, and help me grow into the person I am today has shaped so many of my feelings about myself and the world. I don’t think I would’ve developed that sense of self without going through those experiences with them,” the actor shares.

Kapoor is not here for your idea of who she should be; she is here to lead with intention, one that allows her to surrender herself and embrace what feels right for her, instead of trying to be the “cookie-cutter, ‘perfect’ young actress,” as she puts it. By the time we wrap, I knew, beyond that, poise is that girl you can gleefully dissect teenage rom-coms with, DM memes to or slip into easy banter with and yet walk away having learned something. Perhaps this duality is what makes her disarmingly authentic. “I’ve realised it’s okay for everyone to be different, and there’s space for all of us. I’m excited to play to my strengths, accept my weaknesses, work on them, and just grow to see where that takes me while staying the most authentic version of myself,” she signs off.

Editor: Rasna Bhasin (@rasnabhasin)

Photographer: Bikramjit Bose (@thebadlydrawnboy)

Stylist: Samar Rajput (@samar.rajput05)

Cover Design: Mandeep Singh Khokhar (@mandy_khokhar19)

Make-up Artist: Kiran Denzongpa (@kirandenzongpa), at Feat. Artists (@featartists)

Hair Artist: Mike Dasir (@mikedesir), at Anima Creatives (@animacreatives)

Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)

Set Designer: Devika Dave (@longshelf)

Set Art: Kim Taylor (@21nomad_)

Assistant Stylist: Aditya Kamal Singh (@adityakamalsingh)

Set Decorator: Garima Malhan

Artist Reputation Management: Communiqué Film Pr (@communiquefilmpr)

Khushi is wearing an Embroidered long dress and Tribales earrings, both by DIOR (@dior)