A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. --Coco Chanel

And that’s the first impression you get of the Kapoor sisters and should I add fun as well!
Excerpts from the interview…

Were you both close while growing up and have you ever pitted against each other?

Sonam: We’ve always been close. We even shared a room until I was in Class X and Rhea was in the 8th grade. And what was there to compete about? We’re completely different from each other.
Rhea: It was so annoying (laughs).We barely have any age difference between us (Sonam is 25 and Rhea, 23), so we got along. Besides, the only common thing between us is that we love clothes and we’re the same size! So Sonam steals my clothes, like once she wore my top to a shoot and put it back with the tag still intact because she was so guilty! She lets me borrow her stuff too and if it’s new she’ll say, ‘I’ve not worn it yet, but its okay you can take it’! (mimicking Sonam) Sonam: (Instantly) I want my sister to look pretty!

What kind of influence did your parents have on the both of you?

Sonam: My sister is a lot like my mother and I’m a lot like my father. I’m spaced out and Rhea’s not.
Rhea: We took different things from our parents like I have dad’s temperament. I never get angry and I never scream and shout.
Sonam: But you do get irritable…
Rhea: I do get irritable but only because Sonam knows me and she’ll look at me and say ‘Why you being so bitchy?’ (Both laugh) Sonam’s got dad’s dreamy, creative and non- pragmatic side, which is what helps her be an actor. She’s emotional in a way that everything just comes out. She’ll be angry for an hour and then later she won’t even remember, but with me, I hold on to it.

What is the best and worst thing about each of you?

Sonam: Rhea is sensitive and smart. But I hate that she doesn’t take proper care of herself.
Rhea: Sonam cannot lie. She is the most honest person I know. I love that about her, but the worst thing is that she doesn’t think with her head and she wears her heart on her sleeve, which can sometimes be a weakness.

The two of you have worked on Aisha together for the first time (Rhea, as the producer, and Sonam as the lead actor). How was the experience?

Rhea: The movie was written for Sonam and she actually cast me in a sense! Our father decided that I should produce the film.
Sonam: I wanted my sister to work on this film with me.
Rhea: We had fun working together. We ate a lot and fought too.
Sonam: At each location, we fought at least once. I remember one fight -- it was because my clothes got ruined!
Rhea: Let me tell this story. We were at a hotel in Delhi and Sonam had just ordered some clothes that she was very excited about. And when she is shooting outdoors, my sister behaves like she’s going for sanyas. She packs all her worldly possessions. So, she packed all her new clothes and toiletries too! She could actually open a mini Body Shop store. Anyway, all of it spilt and she was hysterical!
Sonam: I had nothing to wear to a party we had to go to, so I told Rhea that I wasn’t coming. She told me not to cry and I screamed at her, ‘Don’t talk to me like that. My clothes are ruined’! Finally, I wore my flight clothes and forgot about the fight.

How was it working with Abhay Deol?

Sonam: It was great working with Abhay. He has a vibe about him that makes you want to listen to him. He has an innate intelligence, which makes you respect his opinions. It was a lot of fun on the sets because I can literally get away with murder when it comes to Abhay! Even if I was a little sulky, he would try to make me laugh.

One sister in front of the camera, and the other behind-- was that always decided?

Sonam: It was the opposite actually.
Rhea: Sonam secretly always knew that she wanted to act. No one has ever been so emotional about winning a dance contest! I, on the other hand, didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do. I started doing theatre when I was in college at Stella Adler, NYU, to try being on stage. After college, I came back to Mumbai and became an Assistant Director on Wake Up Sid. Any dreams I had about wanting to be an actor were gone once I saw what went into it! Sonam: My first dream was to be Nancy Drew. Then I wanted to be a writer because I loved Enid Blyton. When I put on weight and realised that neither of the two were going to happen, I decided that I wanted to direct movies. So I became an Assistant Director on Black and I got discovered by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

So, Sonam, how did you manage to lose the extra kilos?

Sonam: I lost most of the weight while I was assisting on Black because I had to run around. I used to be exhausted after 18-hour days. In those days, I was a walking, talking Fab India ad! I had four kurtas that I rotated and paired them with the ugliest Mango pants. I used to wear dark black kajal and my hair was perpetually in a bun! Rhea was a very chic Assistant Director, I was horribly tacky!

Both of you’re young and good looking. Are you dating anyone?

Both simultaneously: We don’t want to talk about it because it’s too personal.

What’s your take on relationships?

Rhea: It’s about finding a special friendship and being with someone that brings out the best in you! Mutual respect is the most important, because trust comes with respect
Sonam: I need to be pampered with gifts! But I think trust and honesty are the most important.

And how do you manage to be grounded in this glam industry that can be insecure?

Rhea: I went for the screening of Sonam’s movie, I Hate Luv Storys after being at work for 10 hours. I saw pictures of myself online with people saying that I look like a homeless person! It’s not like you’re always trying to make a style statement.
Sonam: There are people who are commenting about how I try to dress like other celebrities or about why I wear boots all the time! In the monsoon, of course, I’ll wear boots! I can’t wear Louboutins out in the rain! The key is to just not care and remember that today’s news is tomorrow’s trash.

Some of their favourites
Brands: Lanvin, Chloe, Chanel , Galliano, Dior
Perfume: Sonam - Michael by Michael Kors; Rhea - Coco by Chanel
Holiday: New York and Capri
Dream destinations: Milan, Rome, Paris