First Look: Janhvi Kapoor Makes her Cannes Film Festival Debut
Janhvi is the 28-year-old daughter of Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor and late actress Sridevi. Her sister Khushi Kapoor is also an actress, as is her cousin, Sonam Kapoor. She has appeared in over a dozen films since making her acting debut in 2018, and has also starred on runways for labels like Rahul Mishra, Amit Aggarwal and Kalki at Lakme Fashion Week in India.
For her first-ever red carpet look at Cannes, she placed her trust in Tahiliani and her cousin – stylist Rhea Kapoor – to conceptualise the outfit. 'I think she [Rhea] really wanted to bring out a side of me that hasn't been explored much, and focus more on my face and on how she sees me,' Janhvi explains.
Making the dress: Tarun Tahiliani Making the dress: Tarun Tahiliani
For both of the Kapoors, it was important that Janhvi wear an Indian designer for her first Cannes appearance. 'I really think it's their time to shine. I mean, I've known this for a really long time,' says the actress. 'A lot of the textiles that are put on these international garments, on these international red carpets, on these huge Western actors or huge global stars from all around the world have been textiles that were manufactured and created in India by Indian and craftsmen. So I think it is high time that's put on a global stage and our designers are given the kind of credit that they deserve," she adds, pointing out that the Met Gala last month saw a great turnout of Indian designers, from Sabyasachi to Gaurav Gupta and Prabal Gurung.
'I think I look the best and I feel my most comfortable in Indian clothes. And if I'm being put on a global stage like this, I'd like to feel my most comfortable and confident. So it was honestly a very organic decision for me.'
'Specifically for the film that I've come here with, it was important for me to stay in touch with my roots,' continues Janhvi, who is in Cannes for the premiere of her film, Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. Also starring Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, it tells the story of two friends from a village in North India who find their friendship impacted when they pursue jobs as police officers.
Janhvi says that although the plot is rooted in India, it has global relevance. 'It's a story that I think is the need of the hour. It invites people to introspect at being perpetrators, or at the receiving end of any sort of social exclusion, which I think is a human tragedy that's occurring all around the world in different countries," she shares. "It's an observational piece on different sorts of social hierarchies, and a study of human nature.'
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Keeping these themes in mind, she gave Rhea a brief about the film, and expressed the kind of energy she wanted to embody, in terms of being taken 'a little more seriously' for her Cannes debut. And while Janhvi acknowledges that fashion is a massive aspect of the festival, she points out that the event is ultimately about the movies being honoured. 'I really wanted the attention to stay on the fact that we're here representing a film,' she says. 'It's a huge opportunity to even be in the vicinity of so many artists that I admire and look up to, and the fact that our movie is in competition is nerve-wracking, but very exciting. I'm thrilled, and constantly pinching myself.'
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