Describing herself as instinctive, Janhvi says she has gone against peers’ advice to lead unconventional movies like Mili and Gunjan Saxena
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Refreshing is probably the last word you’d associate with a survival thriller. But to Janhvi Kapoor, Mili was refreshing in a way. Director Mathukutty Xavier’s thriller came as a change of pace as she traded rehearsals for spontaneity. “[Doing] this film was liberating. The director encouraged me not to prep at all. Earlier, I was obsessed with preparing, but after Mili, I realised that knowing your character is sometimes enough. It made me enjoy the spontaneity of acting,” she begins.
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Mili is a remake of the 2019 Malayalam film, Helen
An official adaptation of Xavier’s Malayalam film Helen (2019), Mili — also starring Sunny Kaushal and Manoj Pahwa — sees the titular character fighting for survival after she is stuck inside a cold storage. Where there is a remake, there are bound to be comparisons. The leading lady, however, is unfazed. “With Dhadak [2018] and Good Luck Jerry, I have dealt with a few remakes. We got some flak for Dhadak [a remake of Sairat], but people responded positively to [our vision for] Good Luck Jerry. It comes down to your intent. If you want to retell a story in a way that it reaches a wider audience, it’s a noble intention. We have made Mili with an honest intention, and I have tried to do justice to the role. There would be comparisons even if it wasn’t a remake; I’d probably be compared to my mother [the late Sridevi] or another actor.”
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In her four-year run in the industry, Kapoor has chosen interesting projects, some with less success than others. To the actor, it has all been about following her instincts. “I’m not a calculative [actor] at all. I have taken an impulsive decision every time, going by what felt right [at the time]. Often, I’ve gone against what people advised me to do. They said Good Luck Jerry, Mili and Gunjan Saxena [The Kargil Girl] were unconventional choices. I was persuaded not to choose them, but I followed my gut, and I am happy I did.”
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