There was a sense of fear earlier, now I’m comfortable as an actor: Khushi Kapoor

Mumbai, Jan 24 (PTI) Actor Khushi Kapoor says she has gained more confidence after her movie debut “The Archies” and hopes that shows in her second movie, “Loveyapa”, where she stars apposite Aamir Khan’s son Juanaid Khan.

The upcoming romantic-comedy is directed by Advait Chandan of “Laal Singh Chaddha” and “Secret Superstar” fame.

“This film allowed me to explore my abilities as an actor. In the first film, I was very comfortable in Betty’s role because it is very similar to how I am. This one was challenging but fun at the same time for me. It feels like I’ve gained more experience. For me, it was not to let fear hold me back,” Khushi, the younger daughter of legendary actor Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor, told PTI in an interview.

Zoya Akhtar’s “Archies”, an adaptation of the popular comic series, marked the movie debut Khushi, Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana and Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda.

Khushi admits that she was “sacred” while facing the camera for “The Archies”

“I’ve gained more confidence the more I work. There’s a sense of fear and maybe that didn’t let me push myself to what I think I’m capable of (in the first film). At that time that was my best. As you learn and grow, you should keep getting better. So, hopefully, I’m learning more and doing more and that will help,” she said.

Described as a “tangled tale of love and its complications with a mix of fun and laughter”, “Loveyapa” is the story of a young couple (Khan and Kapoor) whose lives take a turn as unspoken secrets come to light after they exchange their mobile phones.

Khushi said that the idea of romance may have changed over the years but the emotion of love between a couple remains the same.

“We can keep adding new words and phrases and call it a different thing, but essentially it remains the same,” she said.

The actor recalled how Chandan initially had reservations about them playing extroverted characters in the movie.

“It’s a funny story. We both are quiet introverts so the first meeting was interesting, it was me, Junaid and Advait. We both were quiet but our characters are different from us.

“So, Advait was a bit scared as to how are we going to play the two characters as we both were far away from it. The more we read and practised, we found our rhythm and broke the ice,” Khushi said.

The presence of her co-star Junaid Khan’s father, Aamir Khan, has only added a layer of excitement to their promotional activities of “Loveyapa”.

“He is being supportive, it’s nice. He is like our mascot,” she said.

Khushi said though the memories of her first meeting with Aamir Khan are blurry since she was quite young at the time, the superstar has been inspiring with his work.

“All of our interactions have been the nicest and I always think of him in the highest regard. I look up to him, he has an amazing work ethic. The way he approaches scripts and the projects he chooses; I feel there’s so much weight to it. There’s always a message to it.”

Growing up in the movie industry, Khushi said she has drawn inspiration from actors such as Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt though she wouldn’t want to emulate or replicate anyone.

“There are so many actors who I look up to. I remember when I was a young girl, I would keep imitating Deepika Padukone from ‘Om Shanti Om’, like the way she would wave her hand in the film on the red carpet. I also love Alia Bhatt, she is a phenomenal actor, and I love her choices,” she said.

Khushi said she is aware of the public scrutiny on actors today and added that her focus remains on selecting good stories.

“There are a lot more opinions now because people have more information. At the end of the day, we are all normal people who are actors. So, that’s what we are here to do when we are doing movies. So, the other opinions don’t matter. It is about choosing a good story and being part of a good project.”

Besides “Loveyapa”, Khushi is set to appear opposite Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim Ali Khan in Karan Johar’s home production, “Naadaniyaan”.

“Loveyapa”, backed by Phantom Studios and AGS Entertainment, is set to release in theatres on February 7.