‘In Shanaya’s first film, she has taken such a big risk…’
IMAGE: Shanaya Kapoor and Vikrant Massey at the Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan trailer launch. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff
Sanjay Kapoor got emotional at the trailer launch of his daughter Shanaya’s debut film Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, and said, “I have been working for the last 30 years but have never been this nervous. Before I cry, thank you.”
Shanaya’s mum Maheep Kapoor added, “Show my baby all the love you have shown Vikrant (Massey, co-star) in the past.”
Vikrant Massey gives Shanaya a boost as well, saying, “This is her first film but I have learnt more from her in the last four-five months than probably in my 21 years of career.”
Watch: ‘I am finally part of it,’ Shanaya says.
Video: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff
IMAGE: Shanaya with her parents Sanjay Kapoor and Maheep Kapoor, brother Jahaan Kapoor and Vikrant Massey at the Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan trailer launch. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff
So what has Shanaya learnt from her stint in acting so far?
“I learnt a lot, especially since the generation I come from is always on social media. There are so many judgements, so many preconceived notions. In this film, you learn not to judge someone before you get to know them,” she says.
Discussing her character Saba, she says, “She is my best friend. There was an instant connection when I met Saba and wore her costume. The most special thing about Saba is that she has a lot of flaws, which make her human.”
IMAGE: Zain Khan Durrani, Varun Bagla, Shanaya Kapoor, Director Santosh Singh, Mansi Bagla and Vikrant Massey at the Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan trailer launch. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff
Director Santosh Singh and Composer Vishal Mishra, who worked on Vikrant’s popular OTT show Broken But Beautiful, make their feature film debut here as well.
“We always tell each other that this is a rocket that we are going to launch. You will see how far this rocket will go. She has done a very good job,” Santosh says about Shanaya.
IMAGE: Shanaya Kapoor and Vikrant Massey at the Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan trailer launch. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff
Vikrant plays a romantic character for the first time on the big screen, and he says, “I keep trying to play different roles. I am proud that you guys have supported me and because of that, I keep trying to do something new which challenges me. And it should also be worth your time.
“It’s been a long time since we saw a romantic film. So when Mansi and Varun Bagla approached me with the script three years ago, I had a gut feeling that this will be a story that people will like. But honestly, I am very nervous because I feel like it’s my debut. I have never done a film of this genre.”
Praising Shanaya, Vikrant says, “In your first film, you want to win the hearts of the audience with your talent. But in Shanaya’s first film, she has taken such a big risk, where your eyes are not visible (Shanaya is blindfolded in most scenes). For that, I would like to commend Shanaya.
“This is just the beginning of incredible things to come. She is going to be a big star. She doesn’t have much time; she is busy for next one-and-a-half years. But I will always be her first hero.”
IMAGE: Shanaya Kapoor at the trailer launch of Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff
About preparing for the role as a blindfolded person, Shanaya says, “Visual cues are very important for actors. If it wasn’t there, how would you feel about each other? We prepped so much with the blindfolds. Vikrant prepped so much with his lenses. We tried to connect with our other senses, touch, feel and understanding the environment without seeing and trusting each other’s energy.
“Our first shot was in a train. There were cameras, someone right below you, light on your face… but you have to try to cut that out so that you can be in the moment with your co-actor. Vikrant and I bonded over the fact that we are in this world and we are only two people, who can’t see. There was this instant connection.”
IMAGE: Shanaya Kapoor and Vikrant Massey at the Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan trailer launch. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff
“I learnt a lot from him,” Shanaya says about Vikrant.
“Sometimes when you do a scene in front of the camera, you only think about yourself — your lines, your costume, your makeup… But Vikrant taught me that it is not about just you, it is about the whole scene. You should think even about the background. He never made me feel that I was the new actor on set. He treated me as an equal artist.”
Shanaya goes on to define love: “Love is friendship. Love is about being friends with that person. Love is also your family, your friends, your little dog… love is everything. It is a universal feeling across the world. Everyone feels it. Everyone connects with it. In our generation, there is a tendency to move on. There is a sense of detachment. But I am not that kind of person. I love the feeling of love in all ways.”
Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan will release on July 11 in theatres.
