Janhvi Kapoor On Playing A Witch In ROOHI: 'I Watched Exorcism Of Emily Rose Repeatedly' - EXCLUSIVE

Janhvi Kapoor opens up on the response to her theatrical release, Roohi. She reveals she requested with Dinesh Vijan to consider her for the role.

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Janhvi Kapoor On Playing A Witch In ROOHI: 'I Watched Exorcism Of Emily Rose Repeatedly' - EXCLUSIVE
Janhvi Kapoor opens up on the response to her theatrical release, Roohi. She reveals she requested with Dinesh Vijan to consider her for the role. Read excerpts from her interview, here. 

Roohi…Earlier known as Rooh Afza?
(chuckles) Yes it  was Rooh  Afza. Then we though we could get away with Roohi Afza. Phir humne socha   Roohi hi rakh lo chup-chaap.

You are no stranger to ghost stories?
Yes, earlier I had done a segment  of Ghost Stories  directed  by Zoya Akhtar. I must confess  I am quite scared of ghosts. When I watch a horror film I begin to imagine reflections in the mirror, creatures sitting on my closet…

And creatures hiding under  your bed?
No not that. I have got a  cupboard fitted underneath  my bed so I have cleverly   overcome that fear. I was  very fascinated by the subject of Roohi. I had heard that Dinu Sir (producer Dinesh  Vijan) was looking at casting for the film. I asked him to consider me. Luckily he felt I fitted the bill.

So you actually went and sought the role?
I did!  I heard  the  one-line concept and I fell in love with it. The concept was, there’s this girl and she’s possessed by a chudail. One man is in love with the girl and the  other with the chudail.

That’s genuinely funny?
Exactly. It felt  like an opportunity for me to broaden my horizons as an actor. Though I have to admit I’ve no funny lines. The situation is  not funny for my character Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma have all the l funny lines. The performance as a chudail was  not  at  all funny for  me. It required a high level of performing ability from me. I had to push myself.

Did you watch any films about chudails before playing one?
Yes, I watched The Exorcism  Of  Emily Rose repeatedly. I think that actress Jennifer Carpenter is  simply outstanding. It is  one of  the most underrated performances  ever.I also watched Jyothikaji’s performance in Chandramukhi very closely.And  Bhool Bhulaiya.The  I  saw the  original Exorcist with Linda  Blair.

There was also a  Chandramukhi starring  your mother Sridevi?
No that had  nothing to do with being possessed. Roohi  was  a big challenge for  me.

Your last  film Gunjan Saxena was a success  although  it was released  during the lockdown  on the  OTT platform?
Funny you saying that because when Gunjan  Saxena was to stream people were comforting me  about how  I wouldn’t even  know  whether    it was hit  or a flop. But now  when I ‘ve another  release coming up I get a sense  of how much people  liked that film and  I feel, Chalo kuch to sahi kiya hoga.

 I  didn’t like Dhadak much.Why  a remake  of  a hit film why not an original?
Sometimes  a director has  a fresh perspective  on  the original. That’s when a remake  works. And honestly there are just a handful of stories that we can reshuffle  on screen.

Are  you  going to be  doing a film for your father (producer Boney  Kapoor)?
Honestly it’s my dream as a  daughter and an actor   to  do a film with my father.We are constantly discussing ideas.I am sure it will  happen soon. Now that  he has turned an actor he will also give  me vishesh tippanni  as an actor on how to do my scenes.

Good  that you started your career outside the  family banner. Nobody  can say you are a beneficiary of nepotism.
Bolne wale  toh bolte hi hain.

 

Image source: IMDb/SpotboyE archive
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