For Sonam Kapoor, her love of vintage clothes and, of course, Bollywood ranks top. An NXg exclusive...

She got fans going crazy over her Masakali after a Sanjay Leela Bhansali debut in “Saawariya”. She stole the limelight with her classy debut on the red carpet and shimmered on covers of glossies.

After “Aisha” she is known as the biggest fashionista of her time. But ask Sonam Kapoor and she will tell you that achieving all this wasn't easy for her.

Flab to fab

Talking about her transformation from being obese to achieving a figure to die for, Sonam says, “There is no substitute to hard work. I am very hard working and never give up on anything. Getting into shape was difficult and I had to impose a lot of self control on myself, but I was determined to be successful. I had to restrict my food habits, it was tough but I managed. It is essential to drink a lot of water as it helps to flush out the toxins and gives you a glowing skin. It has also helped me to stay in shape. I workout in the gym regularly without fail. I also meditate as it helps me deal with stress and strain.”

On screen

With a Political Science and Economics degree in her kitty and the assistant director experience — she worked with Bhansali for “Black” — Sonam Kapoor is a blend of beauty and intelligence and can get into the skin of the character she portrays on screen. She confesses that being an actor, she pays more importance to looking the way her character should rather than looking glamorous.

“I played de- glam roles in ‘Saawariya' and ‘Delhi 6' as per the demand of the script and character. But in ‘Aisha' I played a fashionable girl and I had to play her convincingly and so I got the uber chic look as I had to represent the style sensibilities of a modern and a stylish woman, and be relatable, believable yet high on fashion. So I needed to dress that way. I change my look according to the character I play. I am not here to wear good clothes and look pretty on screen but to act. Off screen I am like any other young girl. But I usually appreciate and adhere to a style that is feminine and ethereal.”

Chic sense

Ask her for her penchant for clothes and she expresses her fetish for collecting vintage clothing. “I am crazy about adding vintage clothes to my wardrobe. While travelling abroad I came across a vintage store which had a brand called Jeager. The outfit must have been about 20 years old; it had a pink piping and it cost me around £30 pounds. I think I got a good bargain because people who understand the value of vintage clothes would rate it somewhere around £1,000-2,000 pounds. If you really have an eye for it, you will appreciate it. It's like collecting art. My mom bought a Sabavala about 25 years ago for some Rs. 25,000. Now it is being sold for Rs 1.5 crore.”

“I preserve these dresses. I have a green Chanel dress that I wore in ‘Aisha'. I got it from a store in New York that sells vintage clothes. I had to take such good care of it. I would remove it after every shot because it starts wearing off. I am really passionate about old clothes,” she quips.

Striving hard

Sonam who stands six feet tall is the tallest heroine in Bollywood and she has broken the age old notion of taller heroines finding it difficult to make it big in tinsel town. By the dint of her hard work she has proved her critics wrong. She is a celebrity child all right but Sonam Kapoor does her bit of effort to be numero uno in the highly competitive Bollywood that's currently seeing a lot of the yesteryear actors' children following their parents' footsteps.

Here's wishing Sonam all the best for her future endeavours.