Shraddha Kapoor’s recently released film Stree, which has entered the coveted Rs 100 crore club, has been hailed by critics (and half of the Internet) as a feminist work. Set in the small town of Chanderi, the film effectively challenges popular notions of gender-related differences in a simple yet unconventional manner, and Shraddha says it is encouraging to see the audiences acknowledge a movie like that.
In an interaction with News18.com, the actress, who is currently gearing up for the release of Batti Gul Meter Chalu, says she is extremely proud to be part of a film like Stree.
“It gives out a very important message in a non-preachy way and completely takes a spin on the very popular notion of ‘Ladkiyon ko ghar ke bahar nahi jaana chahiye.’ We in the movie are saying, ‘Mard savdhaan rahe apne ghar ke bahar mat jaana, Stree aapko utha kar le kar chali jaayegi.’ It’s very encouraging and nice to see the audiences accept the film like that," says Shraddha.
Shraddha Kapoor in a still from Stree
The actress made her debut with Teen Patti, which sees her in the role of a college girl. Though the film had got negative reviews, Shraddha’s performance was well received. Later, she went on to do films like Luv Ka The End and Aurangzeb. But it was Mohit Suri’s Aashiqui 2, the sequel to the 1990 film Asshiqui that catapulted Shraddha into fame.
“I would like to believe I have evolved and learnt and grown. I would always want to be a life-long learner. One of my biggest fears is to feel like one day I’ll know it all or I don’t want to learn anymore. I don’t want that ever to happen," says the actress when asked about how her sensibilities have changed over the years.
Set in Uttarakhand, Sharddha’s next film, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, tackles the issue of privatization of electricity. Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, the film features Shahid Kapoor as the male lead.
Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in a still from Batti Gul Meter Chalu
“I’m really proud to be a part of this project that deals with such a prevalent issue of our country and at the same time to be a part of a story in a very pivotal way. I felt really fortunate that a film like 'Stree' and 'Batti Gul...' came my way. It (Batti Gul Meter Chalu) is so content heavy and so relevant with the issues in our country and something that will stimulate the thinking of people and represent the people from smaller towns whose voices can be heard through this medium."
She adds, “I was extremely taken in by the world of the film and then on the top of that the story was so inspiring and entertaining at the same time and I also think this is my first socially-relevant film in a way."
In Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Shraddha plays a budding designer Lalita Nautiyal who believes that she is no less talented than Manish Malhotra, courturier to the stars.
“I feel like it’s fascinating as an actor that you get to play these characters and different roles; they have their own journeys. I think it’s extremely challenging as well as you get to learn so much by sinking your teeth into a whole new world something you probably haven’t done before. So, I thought it was extremely challenging to take up this dialect. Both Shahid and I were extremely nervous through it all."
Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in a still from Batti Gul Meter Chalu song Hard Hard
Further talking about her character, she says, “There’s a rhythm also to the way our characters are meant to speak. For me, I thought that was so challenging because I feel like it’s such a departure for me as a person and the way I actually speak. I had such a blast playing Lalita Nautiyal. A new sort of energy was felt on set every single day. And, Shree sir held our hands through it all and the writers Sid and Garima (Sidhartha Singh and Garima Wahal) have written the characters so brilliantly so they were backbones on set for us and it’s so important to have that love and encouragement and for people to believe that ‘you can do it’ so, we had that and it was awesome."
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