Befikre, her last film, which released three years back, did not fare well at the box-office. But Vaani Kapoor chooses to let bygones be bygones and is back promoting her upcoming film —War. The actress has set the internet on fire with her look and dance moves in the trailer.
War on her mind
Vaani, who is paired opposite Hrithik Roshan in the action entertainer, says that it would be delusional to think that she could match steps with Hrithik and be as good as him because ‘he is the best’. “It’s a known fact that he is smashing and phenomenal. Personally, I feel that he has so much coolness and swag, the personality he brings into his work and dancing is unbeatable. I, at least got a chance to act and dance with him, be part of a project like War, once in my life. I am super grateful and happy,” says the actress while promoting the film, which is releasing on October 2.
Vaani has done aerial rotating pole and Cyr wheel for War’s first dance number Ghunguroo, which released early this week. She has been through three months of training for the song, which has crossed 38 million views on YouTube as on Friday. She even sustained several injuries. “I had never ever taken a dancing class in my life. Whatever I have learnt was while practising. I spent many hours with my choreographers and learned every step because I wanted the song to look graceful, effortless and perfect for the professional dancers who check my videos. I did not want to look like I did it for the heck of it, so a lot of hard work went into it,” she says.
Though her character wasn’t physically demanding, in terms of fitness, there was a certain body type that the makers demanded for the part she plays. “I had to be in my fittest self and for that, I had to do a lot of training,” she points out.
Though she doesn’t divulge much about the film or her character, she says that it’s a relatable and exciting one. “I have not played a character like this before. It has a fresh aspect,” she informs.
War also stars Tiger Shroff and is directed by Siddharth Anand. Produced by Yash Raj Films, it will release in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
Being selective about her work
While her contemporaries are doing one or two films a year, there have always been long gaps between each of Vaani’s projects. After Shuddh Desi Romance released in 2013, Befikre released in 2016 and three years later War is coming. Do the long gaps bother her? The actress replies, “I have decided to do projects that I am passionate about. They should excite me and I should truly want to be part of them. I am not going to take the pressure of delivering a particular number of projects, be part of the number game or keep a track of who is doing which project or getting more visibility. It’s a fact that I want to be part of the best of the best that’s been offered to me and give my 100 per cent. It’s a very conscious decision that I will wait till the right kind of project comes my way,” she says.
Considering the industry she is part of, where conversations keep happening about ‘Who is doing how many films or endorsements’, isn’t that tough to follow? “Honestly, it’s so easy to become famous among today’s generation. You have various platforms — YouTube, social media, reality shows. But I like the traditional way of being recognised for the work I am doing as an actor in films and that gives me happiness. I am a lot happier doing quality work over quantity,” she says, adding that she is very clear about she wants and doesn’t want in life. “I am not going to do anything that goes against my beliefs because eventually you do all of this to feel content and satisfied. I want to look back and feel proud of my work. I am in this profession because I am passionate about acting and the day I don’t feel the same, I will quit. The day I don’t get good films, I won’t do films,” she says.
Dealing with criticism
Vaani isn’t new to criticism. She has faced flak for her choice of projects, her look in some of her films etc. How does she deal with it? “If the criticism is productive, why not? You should be all ears to something that makes sense. Having said that, you cannot make everyone happy. There will be people who will love you for something and there will be others who will dislike you, no matter what you do. You have to think about things that will help you grow into a better person and actor,” she says.
Going beyond glam
The actress is in the news because of her glam photos and looks too. Most people don’t look beyond that to focus on her acting skills. Vaani says that she was appreciated for her work in Shuddh Desi Romance, which was a simple character. “In Befikre, I played a girl who was modern and born and brought up abroad. So I had to stay true to the character. But not looking glamorous doesn’t make you a better actress. You just have to be convincing about the part you are playing,” she says, adding, “If my part goes with the vision of my filmmaker, then I am happy.”
The actress has started shooting for action-adventure film Shamshera, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. Ask her how she is gearing up for the role and she says, “Karan Malhotra is a task master but he is so brilliant and I am a fan of his work. I am super grateful to him for giving me the wonderful opportunity because it really is, by all means,” she says and signs off.
