Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; March 1, 2016)
Ram Madhvani's Neerja got critical and commercial acclaim. Not only is the film holding steady at the box office, it has also gained social relevance. Candles are being lit and seeds are being sown across the globe, in the memory of the 23-year-old who died saving 359 lives. Sonam Kapoor, who played the brave heart on the big screen, is humbled and happy. She says, “I am overwhelmed with the reactions to Neerja. People are reacting to a true story of courage that has been brought alive through a film that has its heart in the right place. It is not as if I have not seen good reviews before, but the Neerja experience is unprecedented. Believe me, I did just what I truly believed in, and as a director, Ram, gave me the leeway to do that. I am a director's actor. Whenever I've got good reviews, it's because the directors (whether it is Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Aanand L Rai or Ram) have allowed me to soar. Cinema is a director's medium. As far as I'm concerned, it is not as if I changed what I did earlier. I have put in as much, but at the end of the day, if the director cannot translate it for you, it doesn't work.“
Aisha, Raanjhanaa, Khoobsurat and now Neerja; in many ways Sonam has been a torch-bearer for female-centric cinema. Right?\ Sonam says, “I was 23 when I did Aisha. And I knew from then that I would have to keep evolving with my choice of films and roles. Otherwise, I would become extinct. However, me evolving as an actor has nothing to do with female-centric films. But even if I do concede that I have been choosing films with strong female characters, it is a reflection of who I am as a person. I am a believer in feminism. Boman Irani had come on the set of Neerja and something he said has stayed with me. He told me, 'Sonam, there are no small roles, only small actors.' I realised that you need to make yourself relevant in everything that you do. I have to constantly prove my relevance and I am fine with it. This only pushes me to better myself and work harder. Filmmaking is a collaborative process and I'm grateful to my director, cinematographer, sound designer and everyone who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make me look good. If it wasn't for them, I would just be mediocre, irrespective of the characters I played like Neerja, Mili (Khoobsurat), Aisha or Zoya (Raanjhanaa). I'm a third generation Kapoor but I never take myself seriously and think that I am 'so and so'. I have the humility to understand that it is not just about me, filmmaking is far more than one actor or star.“
And of course, star kids have it harder than the underdogs, don't they? “There are pros and cons to everything,'' she says adding, “When you are a star kid, there is a certain recognition and protection that comes with the first couple of movies. But after that, you are on your own. You need to keep proving yourself over and over again. Like it is said, not much grows under the banyan tree. I was sitting with Dhanush while shooting Raanjhanaa and the two of us talked about this. He turned around and told me that a shadow can grow, if you shine bright enough. Six months later, people may forget me as Neerja. I have to constantly keep reinventing myself and that is exactly what I intend to do.“
Aisha, Raanjhanaa, Khoobsurat and now Neerja; in many ways Sonam has been a torch-bearer for female-centric cinema. Right?\ Sonam says, “I was 23 when I did Aisha. And I knew from then that I would have to keep evolving with my choice of films and roles. Otherwise, I would become extinct. However, me evolving as an actor has nothing to do with female-centric films. But even if I do concede that I have been choosing films with strong female characters, it is a reflection of who I am as a person. I am a believer in feminism. Boman Irani had come on the set of Neerja and something he said has stayed with me. He told me, 'Sonam, there are no small roles, only small actors.' I realised that you need to make yourself relevant in everything that you do. I have to constantly prove my relevance and I am fine with it. This only pushes me to better myself and work harder. Filmmaking is a collaborative process and I'm grateful to my director, cinematographer, sound designer and everyone who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make me look good. If it wasn't for them, I would just be mediocre, irrespective of the characters I played like Neerja, Mili (Khoobsurat), Aisha or Zoya (Raanjhanaa). I'm a third generation Kapoor but I never take myself seriously and think that I am 'so and so'. I have the humility to understand that it is not just about me, filmmaking is far more than one actor or star.“
And of course, star kids have it harder than the underdogs, don't they? “There are pros and cons to everything,'' she says adding, “When you are a star kid, there is a certain recognition and protection that comes with the first couple of movies. But after that, you are on your own. You need to keep proving yourself over and over again. Like it is said, not much grows under the banyan tree. I was sitting with Dhanush while shooting Raanjhanaa and the two of us talked about this. He turned around and told me that a shadow can grow, if you shine bright enough. Six months later, people may forget me as Neerja. I have to constantly keep reinventing myself and that is exactly what I intend to do.“
