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In a revealing interview with Newslaundry, Bollywood sensation Janhvi Kapoor offered an intimate glimpse into her life as a star kid and the profound impact of the ever-persistent paparazzi culture. The daughter of renowned producer Boney Kapoor and the late, legendary actor Sridevi, Janhvi Kapoor's journey into the spotlight has been nothing short of remarkable. Her insights into growing up in the media glare shed light on the complex relationship between fame, personal identity, and the relentless pursuit of the perfect snapshot.
From the earliest stages of her life, Janhvi has been no stranger to the unblinking eye of the camera. The paparazzi's lenses have captured her every move, alongside her sister Khushi Kapoor, often without their consent. She described the omnipresent cameras as a constant part of her upbringing, a constant presence in her life. However, the intrusion reached a troubling zenith during her teenage years when she discovered manipulated and inappropriate images of herself circulating on the internet. In an era where advanced artificial intelligence can convincingly fabricate reality, Janhvi expressed her deep concern, saying, "People see these manipulated images and assume they're real. That deeply concerns me."
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The actress, who made her silver screen debut in 2018 with the romantic drama "Dhadak," also discussed the impact of the digital revolution on her formative years. She recounted a pivotal moment when, at the tender age of 10, she discovered paparazzi images of herself on Yahoo's homepage while in her school's computer lab. These images, which portrayed her in an uncomfortable and unvarnished light, came with headlines announcing her impending entry into the film industry. Instead of endearing her to her peers, this exposure had the opposite effect, causing her to feel alienated and isolated from her schoolmates. Her teachers, too, began to treat her differently, exacerbating her sense of unease.
Janhvi revealed, "I don't think they understood it, so they started disliking me. I didn't understand what was happening. My friends looked at me differently, they poked fun at me for not getting waxed... Many insinuated that I don't have to work as I was famous anyway, weird taunts that I wouldn't understand. Everyone kept asking me when I was leaving school and why I was on Yahoo. There was a lot of judgment, a lot of questioning of one's self-worth from a very young age."
Despite these challenges, Janhvi Kapoor has continued to make her mark in the entertainment industry. After her debut in "Dhadak," she has taken on diverse roles in films such as "Ghost Stories," "Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl," "Good Luck Jerry" (2022), and "Bawaal" (2023).