Janhvi Kapoor may have debuted in Bollywood as a star kid, but she has often spoken about how her journey was shaped by personal loss. The actress' mother, Sridevi, passed away in February 2018 due to accidental drowning in a Dubai hotel room. Just months later, Janhvi made her debut with Dhadak, which released in July that same year.
While many assume that audiences showed her sympathy, Janhvi Kapoor disagrees. Speaking to Vogue, the actress said, "Where is this empathy? I want to see some of this empathy."
Janhvi explained that both she and her sister, actress Khushi Kapoor, put up a strong front after their mother's passing. "My sister and I have never let them see the cracks, and because of this, people have felt they can throw mud at us, that we are not really human. That took empathy and sympathy completely out of the question," she said.
The actress also shared that the experience made her "cynical." She admitted that the grief could have taken her and Khushi "off track," but they stayed focused. "I don't think anyone can understand what we went through. The loss is one thing but the damage that came after really made me cynical about human nature," Janhvi said.
She further recalled how difficult it was to deal with public attention at the time. Paparazzi would follow her constantly, and every reaction was analysed.
"I would be hounded by the media and if I smiled to promote my film, I was criticised for seeming too okay. If I was quiet, then I was perceived as too cold. It's unfathomable that it could become a meme. Imagine losing your mother and it's entertainment for half the nation," Janhvi Kapoor concluded.
On the work front, Janhvi Kapoor's film Param Sundari is currently running in theatres. Directed by Tushar Jalota, the movie features Sidharth Malhotra as the male lead.