HELLO AGAIN

She has smarts, she has sass and we've discovered she has a sharp tongue too. Meet the Dilli6 girl, who's ready to take on showbiz, one more time. The irrepressible Sonam Kapoor chats nineteen to the nineteen hundred with Anuradha Choudhary.

Her sunshine smile is enough to restore your sense of humour. The weary grind of the day forgotten instantly.
That's the way Sonam Kapoor is. Half girl-half woman.
Like Miss Sunshine. In a trice, she turns your world downside up.
She sucks you into her world and from thereon it's one rollercoaster ride to another. Topics pelt you from all sides then. Love, relationships, politics, quirks, movies, movie stars, Hollywood.... You name it and she's ready to natter.
So, over cups of hot chai, we relax in her living room, where silver antiques sit cheek by jowl. The Persian carpets on the floor only accentuate the opulence around. You want to wipe your feet before entering the room. Tell her that and she chuckles. I've grown up amidst this. So it's not so daunting for me. But I can imagine how it must look to an outsider."
A tour of her bedroom ensues. If Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Maurakami scream out loud from her bookshelf, the kaleidoscopic bangles on her table are no less conspicous. Art meets mart then. She laughs at the synergy. As she slides further into the settee, I ask her:

Will Rakeysh Mehra's Dilli 6 be the true test of your talent?
We'll see. I don't know whether my talent will be tested. I don't take my talent seriously. I don't take life seriously. All I know is that I've worked hard on the film. It's a superb, fun role. It's very today. I can easily say that it's the role of a lifetime. Actually, it's a little early to make such a statement. Nevertheless.... it's a different film.

Define different.
You know, you can't classify the film. You can't call it a romcom, you can't call it action, you can't say it's a commercial or an art film. It's filmmaking at its best. It's simple yet complicated. There's certain honesty, soul to the film. It's a feel-good film, something that will make you feel alive.

We heard you had quite a few crying sessions on the sets of Dilli 6.
(Laughs) I think you got the movie wrong. Have you ever met Rakeysh Mehra? He's such a gentleman. He's awesome. I think I was the tyrant on the set and not him.

And you enjoyed working with Abhishek Bachchan?
Yeah, absolutely. He's a thorough gentleman and such a competent actor. He of course thinks I'm a child. And I think he's a kid. We shared a great camaraderie on the sets, trying to be wittier than the other. It was so much fun. Since both of us are boarding school kids, we loved playing pranks on everyone. That's such a boarding school culture. (Grins) We both are bade baap ki bidadi aulaad. I love him as a person; he's so gentle, so sensitve and very intelligent. Besides, he can speak French.

Isn't the gap between your first and second film too much?
Not at all. The gap is just one year. That's how long it takes to make a good film. You feel that way because Ranbir's (Kapoor) second film released earlier.

Do you feel other newcomers have raced ahead of you?
No. I don't compare myself to anyone. Honestly, I don't. I'm very friendly with Ranbir; I'm getting to know Deepika (Padukone), I know Imran (Khan) very well. We're the only newcomers. There's no one besides us. But I don't look upon them as competition. I think it's better to be friends with one another than be competitive. Besides how many films can one actor do? I can't do all the films offered to me nor can Deepika. So where's the quesiton of someone racing ahead?

Is it true that Aditya Chopra approached you for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi?
Do I look like a fool? If Aditya had approached me, do you really think I would refuse his movie? He didn't offer me Rab Ne... I'll tell you what happened. Aditya called me to his office one day because he hadn't met me since Lamhe. I was six then. He wanted to meet me. And that one meeting was blown out of proportion. Someone saw me at Yash Raj, put 2 and 2 together and came up with 2,222. It's utter nonsense. Because Aditya was always clear that he wanted a new girl.

Which is the one director you'd give your all to work with?
I can't decide between Karan Johar and Farah Khan. I've grown up with Farah in the house. She was working with dad so she'd always be home. But i would also love to work with Imtiaz Ali, I love his genre of filmmaking. Then there's Anurag Basu, he's been my favorite since Murder. And of course I would do anythin to work with Shimit Amin.

But if you had to choose from one of them, which one would it be?
Frankly, I can't choose. It would have to be between Karan Johar and Farah Khan. Tough choice. I love karan as a person. I like the way he talks to my mother with so much respect. Also, I like the way he's taking care of my sister (Rhea), who's working in his production house. he's a really good human being. So I guess it would be him.

If you weren't an actress, what would you be?
A writer, no doubts about it. And I would only write romantic scripts.

Which is the one film you'd have loved to do?
Chaalbaaz. Sridevi was sooo good in it. I really wish I get do something like that. Today, I would love to do Kareena's (Kapoor) role in Jab We Met.

Which is the one role you would never do?
David Dhawan had made a film called Shaadi No. 1. There were six heroines in the movie. Even if someone paid me five million dollars, I wouldn't do any of those roles.

What's the most important lesson you've learnt?
To sugarcoat everything you say. People out here don't like to hear the truth. Of course, that doesn't stop me from saying it. I just stay away from such people.

Two things that make you see red.
Liars and sycophants. I hate sycophants. I've seen too many out here. It's disgusting how people sweet talk and become yes persons. It's revolting.

What's your one quirk?
Hmmmm. I start talking when I'm getting bored. I was in New York recently, travelling by cab. I realised that it would take some time to reach my destination. The thought bored me so much, I didn't know what to do. Then I turned my attention to the cabbie. And by the time I alighted from the cab, I knew everything about him. Another quirk of mine, is that I zone out in between conversations.

If there's one thing you could change about yourself, what would it be?
I love myself with all my imperfections. Maybe I'll try to be a better person but apart from that I won't change anything. I guess you should change your shortcomings not your innate personality. As for my physicality, I have boobs and a great butt. I don't need anything else.

Describe yourself in three words.
Nerd, happy, bindaas. Look at me, I never wear make-up or comb my hair. Whoever made me an actress? I'm so spaced out most of the time, people think I'm dumb. I laugh 15 minutes after a joke has been cracked, that's how spaced out I am. But I'm a true blue romantic. I'm looking for my knight in shining armour.

Which is the one song that could have been written for you?
All of my life where have you been by Lenny Kravitz.

Tell us about your first crush.
My first crush was Shah Rukh Khan. I must have been four or five when i saw his first film Deewana. The scene when he comes riding his bike was simply awesome. And I was hooked. I must have seen Deewana nearly 30 times after that. Then Hum Aapke hain Kaun...! released and Salman Khan became my favorite. But Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge came soon after and my loyalties were back with Shah Rukh Khan.

Define romance.
It's a complete body and soul experience. It's something intense, passionate. Romance to me means bells and violins. I'll know I'm in love when I meet someone and bells and violins go off in my head. That hasn't happened to me. And I want it to happen badly.

What would be an ideal romantic evening for you?
It would be on a couch, having strawberries and cream and watching a romantic movie with a nice-smelling man.

When would you know you're in love?
When the bells go off in my head . I've been in love earlier. But I really don't know whether it was love because i believe in the everlasting kind of love. And since it clearly didn't last, I don't know if I really was in love.

Would you tattoo your lover's name on any part of your body?
No, never. Why should I tattoo someone else's name? If at all, I'll tattoo something significant. Like my name. Actually I have done that. My name means good luck. And I've tattooed that in the Chinese language on my hip bone. So there!

Okay. Chocolates or flowers?
Can I get both with a diamond ring to go with them?

Romantic dinners or a long drive?
Romantic dinner; any day. Good food is my thing. Anyways, you can't drive in Mumbai.

Marriage or career?
That's hardly a choice. Career, of course.

What's your favorite song?
Iris from City of Angels.

What does love mean to you?
It means patience, endurance and heat.

Your ideal man would be....?
Someone who loves me a lot, someone who is intelligent and someone who can take me the way I am.

If an ex-lover came back, would you take him?
No, never. The reason why it would have ended in the first place would have been because I wanted it to end. So there would be no question of going back.

Have you experienced unrequited love?
Yes. But only because the person concerned didn't know about my feelings for him. And that's what's delicious about the whole thing, the fact that it was my secret. That adds a certain mystery to it.

When was your first kiss?
I was 18 years old when I first kissed. It was awesome.

With whom would you go on a blind date?
Leonardo Di Caprio. Because he's such an interesting man. He's intelligent and I would go on a blind date to have an intelligent conversation with him. I admire the amount of work he has done for his community and for the rain forests. Also, the way he has broken his chocolate boy image.

Do you think you intimidate men with your intelligence?
I don't know. If they get intimidated then obviously they aren't intelligent. Why should anyone be intimidated? I don't look like a diva. I'm so casual and approchable.

What are your vivid childhood memories?
I remember going on the sets of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja. Mom was out of town for some reason, otherwise we weren't allowed on the sets. I must have been about seven. And I was my dad's pet. He used to tie my shoelaces for me. Even today I'm dyslexic when it comes to tying something. Anyway, the shot was on and I started howling because I didn't want my maid to tie my shoelaces. I wanted dad to do it. Guess what? He stopped the shot, tied my laces and returned for his shot.
Then on my 13th birthday I was in Los Angeles with my family. Now everything shuts down in L.A by 9:30 pm. But dad knew some people, so he askd them topen a resturant and we celebrated my birthday. It was my most memorable birthday because in the day dad took me to Universal Studio and Disneyland. I went on all the rides. Met Mickey Mouse. It was great!

What was it like growing up as Anil Kapoor's daughter?
He was the regular dad for us. Yes, I knew he was the superstar of the country. I knew he was not like other dads but that was it. I didn't know any different. To me my dad made a living by beating up the baddies. Like everyone else. He was my hero, I didn't know that he was actually a hero on screen. I got to that later.

Which is your favorite Anil Kapoor movie?
There are more than one. Woh Saat Din, Eeshwar, Mr India, Lamhe, and Meri Jung.

Were you spoilt rotten?
I don't think so. What do you mean by spoilt rotten anyway? If you mean by my lifestyle, then we moved into this huge house much later in life. We used to live in a three bedroom flat with Sanju chachu (Sanjay Kapoor). We went to a very middle-class school, Arya Vidya Mandir. We would get a minimal allowence. Till recently, I used to travel by train. I went to a boarding school. Yes, I'm my dad's pet. So he used to pamper me, still does. But mom used to be very strict. I think I'm spoilt now. I spoil myself. And why not?

On what would you spend your money most?
On books. They are my passion. Even today I spend most of my money on books. I keep ordering on Amazon. Otherwise there's Crosswords book store. My favorite bookstore is Borders in America.

Which are your favorite books?
I love the Bronte sisters. Then Jane Austen, Shakespeare. I love the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. These days I'm reading this wonderful book called Maximum City by Suketu Mehta. It's lovely.

What's your most prized possession?
My notebook. I can't live without it. It's my mind. I write my to-do list here. I write my thoughts, my bad poetry, limericks, things I observe. My notebook is my semblance of sanity.

Whom would you to throw a rotten egg at?
George Bush. Can't stand that man.

What if you met Deepika Padukone in a lift?
I would hug her. I would probably go shopping with her; or go to the movies. She's a very nice girl. I'm just getting to know her. She's very beautiful. Ranbir is really lucky to have her.

Shobha De says you lack sex appeal and thta Deepika is an ordinary looking girl. Your comments.
For a 60-something porn writer, I'm sure she knows what she's talking about. If she thinks Deepika is ordinary then she sure needs to wear glasses. Her eyesight is failing her.

What's your motto in life?
Work hard, have lots of fun and live life queen size.

What keeps you going?
My eccentricities. The fact that I'm different. Everyone thinks they are different. I know I am.



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* Filmfare December 2008 - Classic Shots
* Filmfare January 2009 - Interview & Pictures
* Outtakes - Munna.S