She has been in the news ever since the trailer of
Befikre went online. The film has been a topic of discussion ever since it hit
theatres. SpotboyE.com brings you Vaani Kapoor's first interview post Befikre.
Read on...
Has life changed for you after Befikre?
I don't go out much, so I wouldn't know exactly if the outside world has
changed for me or not. But mostly so far, it seems more or less the same.
I am just happy that most people who have seen the film have loved my character
(of Shyra) and my work. 
Image Source: Rohan Shrestha
Has Befikre brought in its share of directors and
ad-filmmakers at your doorstep?
People are coming forward, but I think it's a bit too soon for me to analyse it
correctly. I would like to take some time before coming to a conclusion on
this.
Considering that you hadn't had a film since 3 years (Shuddh Desi Romance
released in Jan '13), how were you feeling when Befikre was about to hit
theatres?
I was very nervous and shaky. I take a lot of
responsibility of whatever I am attached to. Frankly, I am never too
confident about anything in life.
Image Source: twitter/YRF
How easy or difficult it was for you to play the bold,
outgoing Shyra?
Being the newest member in the film and the fact that I am not a star, I always
felt that I was the biggest risk factor of Befikre.
Adi (Aditya Chopra) always says that I am an old soul and very conventional.
Shyra is so much out there, so much in charge of almost everything in her life,
she is literally living her life, and those 42 boyfriends of hers!
Shyra's mindset had to be totally understood. i did a lot of workshops with
Adi.
I started watching a lot many French films. I flew down to Paris much before
the camera rolled on the film so that I could observe and understand the people
there- their body language, vibes, and almost everything else about them. I
couldn't look like a girl from Delhi which I am, when I was playing a girl who
stays in France and thinks that she is not an Indian.
So, I had to work a lot on how to get Shyra's body language absolutely right.
This in turn even involved losing lots of weight, which I did. I gave it my all
and I don't know if it has been enough or not.
But I would give more credit, in fact full marks, to Adi,
who helped me in transforming from an Indian girl to a French one (pauses).
Image Source: Rohan Shrestha
Go on...
To tell you the truth, Adi wasn't worried.
But... (trails off).
But what?
It was a long journey. You know that Hindi film heroines have adayein, plus
being from a North Indian family I have seen a lot of Hindi films in my school
and college days... so to shed all that and start thinking and moving like a
French girl was never easy. Bahut kaam kiya, yahan tak ki main kaise baithungi,
kaise uthungi aur kaise chalungi. 
Image Source: Rohan Shrestha & vcs
Was there a point when you told Adi that you want do a few scenes in a slightly
Indian way?
No, I did not. I trust Adi blindly. I have immense faith
in him. I knew he would shoot aesthetically.
Plus, I come from a family which sits and sees Hollywood
films together. We don't stop looking at each other or change channels if and
when there's a bold scene.
And we had an all-French crew, which made it a lot easier
for us. Such depiction of love as we have in Befikre is very normal for them,
and nobody made us feel uncomfortable. Adi had taken a conscious decision of
hiring people whose wavelength would be in accordance with the script of the
film.
Above all, I was working with Adi. I look up to Adi and
have tremendous faith in him. I never felt that I am going to be exploited in
any way. Plus I have a lot of confidence in him. If I had felt uneasy about any
scene, it wouldn't have been shot.
What are your views on marriage? Are you also against marriage like Shyra was?
Shyra was not anti-marriage. She was just dating someone.
In fact, she gave a lot of importance to marriage. For her, marriage was a huge
deal. That's why she has this long chat with Dharam (Ranveer Singh) if she is
marriage-material. For me too, marriage is a big thing. I would never
marry in haste- just because sab log shaadi karte hain, time ho gaya hai, and
all that. And I would give it all of me to make my marriage work.
Image Source: youtube/YRF
Would you live-in with a guy like Shyra does, if and when
you fall in love?
That's a very subjective question, and I haven't thought about it. I would say
'Never say Never' but it would still depend on many things like- What stage of
my life I am at that point of time? Who is the guy? What does he mean to me
then? What would my parents say?- Bahut saare sawaloon ke jawab pe depend
karega.
Shyra doesn't bother about her parents' feelings when she
moves in with Dharam. What do you see around you? Is India changing?
Today, I see a lot more people just not in our film
industry but also outside it acknowledging their relationships and being very
comfortable in their skin about it, Maturity levels have shot up. I never
dated anybody in school, but today I see school kids living
life. Collegians, even school kids are on Tinder looking for
date-mates. So think of it, our films mirror life. I am not saying
that it mirrors everyone's life, but this is how a large section of the youth
lives. So yeah, India is changing.
Is it the influence of the West, the Internet...
(Interrupts) I think people in India dated in the 90s and
before that as well. It's just that today's youngsters are not shy to bring
their life into the open. Less hypocrisy, less judgments. Elders out here have
also started to understand that dating and love is normal. Nothing wrong with
it (pauses).
Image Source: youtube/YRF
Were you okay with the idea of wearing a bikini in Befikre?
It was a beach scene, and I have worn bikinis on beaches on holidays abroad,
like when I went with my sister to Amsterdam for one. Nobody shuts his/her eyes
there and I have never felt weird about it.
Did you keep your parents in the loop about the content
of Befikre?
We never counted the kisses, they were simply
situational. You can’t expect a tree to come in the way of two young
people romancing each other. Importantly, it does not matter what is the number
of kisses but the manner in which those kisses have been shot. The kisses in
Befikre are not lewd, in fact there is only love and warmth in them. Even Adi
treated them with lots of love and warmth.
That does not answer my question...
Well, I did not discuss the Befikre content with my parents when I was
shooting. My parents are quite evolved. They didn't question me even when the
trailer was released. They saw the film and said that they have been
entertained and the film is full of life.
Image Source: vcs & youtube/YRF
Censor Board has been heavily criticised for Befikre, there's a strong school
of thought that it has been liberal with the film...
I think it's a Catch-22 situation for them. They have it
if they are strict, they have it if they see the film in the right context. The
latter happened in the case of Befikre. I think Pahlaj Nihalani saw
Befikre in the correct light; he did not see the kisses in it in
isolation. I feel bad for the Censor Board. You can't please everyone, can
you?
Where does the Censor Board go from here?
I am quite new to comment on this, but I think they
should continue doing what they think is right. One day the people will realise
that such discussions are not issues of vital importance.
Image Source: youtube/YRF
Have you made friends in the industry?
I don't have friends per se, but I am on good terms with
everyone. Fortunately or unfortunately I know only the YRF actors. I think
Parineeti (Chopra), Ranveer (Singh) and Sushant (Singh) are very nice. Shraddha
Kapoor is sweet. Anushka too, in fact she was the first person to text me after
watching the Befikre trailer.
Ranveer as a co-star?
Bahut dil ka achcha hai, and he is a brilliant actor. I
know it has been said many times but I repeat: Ranveer's energy is infectious.
He is a happy guy who makes you feel happy. He loves to entertain people.
Over and above, I am very comfortable in his presence. I
am someone who can start feeling awkward at times. But with Ranveer around, I
never feel conscious about anything. You can be just yourself in his company.
Image Source: youtube/YRF
Your statement about award functions sometime ago became
the talk of town (Reportedly, Vaani had said: I don't like the energy at
award shows. It's rehearsed and everybody is just focused on themselves and
nobody wants to genuinely applaud for anyone else. People aren't even listening
if someone is giving a speech on stage). Will we see you at the award
functions?
Oh God! I think I love putting my foot in my mouth. I had
said that in a very casual manner and did not expect it to grab headlines. When
I read it, of course I didn't like what I had said, it didn't come out in the
light I had said. I didn't expect that it would sound so weird. It was just a
stray occasion or two when as an outsider I felt that people are not being too
supportive of somebody who is up there.
Coming to the second part of your question, well yes,
hopefully you will see me at the award functions.
The interview will be incomplete if I don't ask you about the buzz that 'you
look different than before because you have undergone some surgeries'...
Anybody in this world has a right to do something and I would never judge them.
I am getting flak for something I have not done, which is why I haven't taken
this buzz harshly. Some people love to troll others, and if that makes them
happy let them be happy. But let me tell you the truth: I have not
undergone any surgery.
Thumbnail Image Source: youtube/YRF