Shraddha Kapoor—What's not to love?!

“Stay please, l am not letting you go anywhere. You are stuck with me!"

Shraddha lets out her signature ebullient laugh free, fluid, charming, and unpretentious at the anniversary cover shoot, where we end up having quite the Carrie Bradshaw-esque Sex and the City hang. I wonder what's an appropriate way of asking her if l need to leave while she is changing, but without any qualms, she continues to chat while trying out one look after another.

Rare for an actor and celebrity of her stature and filmography to be so casj. Even though we are meeting for the first time, it feels like we are planning quite a rager, shuffling through the racks and accessories neatly lined up, which, tbh, is what it exactly felt like with her on set.

Striking to look at even in sweats and a tank, my instinct tells me she is used to operating at a frequency that is playful but very centred, much like the good old plug in and play of binaural beats that are highly meditative, but especially relaxing. She breezes in and out of the lights, camera, and "play my favourite song" spotlight, leaving a contagious trail of *let's have fun, even though this is serious work" energy.

Congratulating her on the mind-bending historic box office success of Stree 2 (2024), before I head to the airport and she starts to get ready for an event, she gives me the warmest hug, promising to get on a call for our impending interview soon.

And the day comes when we chat not once, but twice in a day, because there is so much to process about the most followed actor and celebrity on the gram and one of the highest paid actors in the country Shraddha Kapoor. She routinely punctuates her answers with gratitude, making it abundantly clear that she isn't taking all of the love and adulation for granted, and in the gentlest of ways, perhaps, has it all figured out.

And why shouldn't she when after her debut in 2010 at just 22 with Teen Patti, in three years she became what is now referred to as the national crush with Aashiqui 2 (2013), immediately following it up with the critically acclaimed Haider in 2014. Sure, she has deep roots in the film industry, given her incredibly versatile actor-father (Shakti Kapoor) who has riveted a generation with the most memorable character archetypes, and a lineage that boasts of musicians and creatives who have been pioneering in their own fields. But she has carved her own path, on her own terms, found her own people in the process, and routinely not just pushed, but also designed her envelope of magical probabilities.

A few days before our call, Shraddha had walked for a Delhi-based designer, and while I was gutted to have missed it, before we really dove into the interview questions, I had to ask her of her experience. Self-reflective, she spoke of how she could have done better on the runway in a sincere review, not missing a beat on the big takeaways from the experience she'd be mindful of the next time around.

Given she is our fun, fearless, and fabulous cover girl, I had to know what it was that she had done of late that captured the sentiment. Shraddha tells me, "There are so many instances in life when everything doesn't go as perfectly as you'd hope for. But it is the moment you find the ability to laugh at any situation, be light hearted about it, learn from it, and finally enjoy the whole process...is kind of being fun, fearless, and fabulous as far as everyday life goes. I feel like all those traits also come from accepting things the way they are. I was literally imitating myself in front of my parents and was like, 'C'mon dad, I make you damn proud. I'll show you how I walked on the ramp'...going on to show them. and laughing it off. Also, I make my own decisions even when my near and dear ones tell me otherwise. You see there are so many times when you have to stand by yourself in the smallest of ways like deciding on who I am interacting with, what I am going to wear, or the degree of openness in an interaction. Another instance: When I am choosing to do a film when others may have wondered... Why this now? How come this character?" But at that particular time, it felt so right to me." 

On Shraddha: Top, Papa Don’t Preach by Shubhika (@papadontpreachbyshubhika); skirt, Maje (@majeparis); jacket, Rahul Mishra (@rahulmishra_7); earrings, Outhouse Jewellery (@outhousejewellery); bracelet stack, Palmonas (@palmonas_official); footwear, House of Prisca (@houseofprisca_)

On the gram, Shraddha's Instagram bio reads... Living the dream'... followed by emojis of a star, unicom, and a heart. 

Of course, she has to believe in magic and maybe is a seeker looking for all that is good even when it looks like a mess, so naturally our talk turns to whether she believes in angel numbers, zodiac jigsaw, or numerology. Shraddha opens up, "10 be really honest, I've done two pujas during Pitru Paksha day [the time in the Hindu calendar when you pray and give offerings to your ancestors]. I sat with the pandit on the day out of sheer curiosity and asked him about the upcoming nine-day festivities, where you worship various forms of Hindu goddesses because I wanted to connect with the divine goddess energies. It is really not something specific that I find interesting, but all of this is pretty fascinating. And even though I am curious, I have never associated things happening in my life entirely to these schools of thoughts. Generally, at my core, I am a believer of magic and all things positive. In fact, I feel that I am so optimistic that I have the most rose-tinted glasses that you'll ever find on anyone. And even when there are people who will bring me back to Earth, I have this inherent belief that everything will always pan out for the best."

I imagine this may have also stemmed from the eclectic cohort that makes up her family, who have had varied life experiences that encouraged her to follow her dreams. She agrees that, so far, everything had been a sum total of her interactions growing up, which also gave her a solid foundation. Whether it was taking music lessons from her grandfather, listening to her mom sing who also, according to her, has the most beautiful voice in the family, or her dad telling her how he refused to join the family business in Delhi and instead took a train to Bombay [Mumbai] to be an actor, or for that matter her brother who is a DJ, actor, and a poker champion…the vibe has always been live and let live. Clearly then, maybe insecurities and Shraddha don't go hand in hand. She quips, "Anybody telling you they don't have any insecurities is just not admitting it. It's the most human thing to be vulnerable, and it is better to allow them to exist instead of being in denial of them. I am a mix of someone who is extremely confident on some days while there are days when I am not. I can't sit with a pessimistic mindset for too long. I have a slight fear of flying, and sometimes, when I have to travel around in a chartered plane (which means more turbulence] for events, whenever I get off them, I am filled with extra gratitude for being alive and being here, doing what I love, with my loved ones around me.”

Despite all this, there must be some coping mechanism she leans on when nothing is going as per plan. I tell her it happens to the best of us, so what does she do when her otherwise cheerful self isn't feeling upbeat. Shraddha reminds me of her pets-Shyloh and Small [a recent addition to her family gifted by her friend]—who are her biggest source of peace. I can feel a smile incoming when she shares, "This is the first time I am talking about my pets. See, Shyloh is everyone's pet at home and is attached to everyone equally. Small is mine. My bedroom is Small's bedroom and she lives with me, so I'm essentially her pet parent and I have to admit I am extremely obsessive and possessive about her. She has been coming with me whenever I am shooting in Mumbai because she's a Yorkshire Terrier, and currently, a proper little baby. So I try to finish my work early and run home to her as fast as I can.”

And while it is safe to assume that Shraddha has always had loved ones around her, her one year in Boston where she had gone to pursue psychology taught her how to take care of herself. It was something she was keen on not only because she found the subject fascinating, but it also helped her understand what student life was, and especially that she was no longer an actor's daughter, but any other student in Boston.

The move back to Mumbai-though for Teen Patti—in her second year to switch to acting wasn't as smooth as she imagined when she landed the role and finally got on set. She recounts, "I remember on the second or third day, I had a breakdown and told my mom I didn't want to go back and I didn't understand this world since I had never AD'ed on a film set and was just 20 or 21. People were not always very nice, cause if you were a 'somebody' you would be suddenly spoken to in a different way, and if you were a nobody, you would be treated like that. I could see all this and felt sad about it. My first film felt far more challenging than my second, where I was more confident and realised that if someone doesn't know something and is a little lost, you have to be kind to them."

I, on my part, reminds her how incredibly grounded she is despite her success, when she throws me off guard exclaiming, "I better be! I am very privileged to do what I do. I know how there are millions who would want to be where I am, so I better keep my head down and be grateful and diligent. I hear my dad's stories of coming from a film background, and then I think of my nana's [maternal grandfather] journey of how he became a classical musician when he came from Kolhapur to Bombay, so I know, in my family too, I am the privileged one.”

All this success, especially after Stree 2, I probe..."So, does it get lonely at the top?" She pauses for a bit. Gathering her thoughts, she explains, "Interesting question. At this stage in life, mentally, I am in a very good space. So even though other people may feel lonely at the top, I am blessed to be surrounded by a very close-knit family, which also happens to live in the same society and another set that live five minutes away from our place, plus, I live with my parents, my brother, my two pets, and my brother's girlfriend, so I am surrounded by the people I love who cheer for me and support me. I was born in the same house, and played in the same building. From my neighbours, caretakers, watchmen, or cleaners, they've seen me from the time I would be playing in the building lobby so they all feel like "she's our kid'. It is anything but lonely because I live with my family and have a great support system." 

I gather Shraddha must also be as thoughtful and giving in her relationship, perhaps too optimistic at times. I jump straight in to know what her attachment style is like. I can almost feel the hint of dreaminess in her voice when she says, "Maybe you will need my significant other in this conversation…..like you would have to ask him to be very honest, but I think I have a few Pisces traits, one wherein I definitely love the typical fairytale aspect of love, which is out of this world. You know the kind where you're like as long as I have you, I don't need anyone else. Of course, while I have those notions, I also feel like currently in my life, there is a certain amount of realism. I really love spending time with my partner and doing things with him like watching a movie, going for dinner, or travelling. I am generally someone who likes to spend time doing things together or even not doing things together. For instance, even with my school friends, if we don't meet, it affects my mood. Yesterday, we had a family lunch, which was so uplifting and invigorating, and the same goes for my relationship."

I can't help but ask her thoughts on marriage and whether she believes in it, given Gen-Z won't stop moaning about it. Articulate and succinct, she beautifully opines. She explains that it is not a question of believing in marriage or not, but more a question about being the right person, and therefore being with the right person.
And in case one feels they want to get married, then that's great. But if they feel like they don't want to get married, that's great too.

We switch gears to movies and understanding her process, especially at the screenplay stage, where Shraddha, by virtue of her selection and instinct, has been hitting the ball out of the park. Does she get involved when she finds something particularly interesting or suggests what she thought a character could have said? And, of course, does she ever become the character, even if it is for a brief period in her own life post filming? She tells me, "The most fascinating thing about reading a script is that every script is different from each other. While there are a few that really etch out your character well with little room for improvisation, there are times when thoughts come immediately, I will jot it down on the side of the script, and then, there are times when you are just in awe of how a script is written and just reading it is very joyful. And sometimes, when you are eventually playing the character, there are traits you may carry back. For instance, in Stree, she has this mysterious aura and this feeling of being centred, which I may have subconsciously adopted in real life."

High on gratitude, layered, intelligent, beautiful, and mindful, Shraddha Kapoor, even in her current 'superstar era', just only seems to be warming up, unafraid to take risks and live through life and movies on her own terms.

Editor and interview: Pratishtha Dobhal (@pratishtha_dobhal) 
Digital Editor: Sonal Ved (@sonalved) 
Photographer: Akula Madhu (@madetart)
Stylist: Devki Bhatt (@devs213)
Cover Design: Mandeep Singh (@mandy_khokhar19) 
Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)
Make-up artist: Shraddha Naik (@shraddha.naik)
Hair artist: Nikita Menon (@nikitamenon1)
Art concept: Sasha Jairam (@sashajairam) 
Styling assistants: Hema Chaudhary and Isha Suvarna
Location courtesy: Akara Art Gallery