Interview: Sanah Kapur says its ‘much easier’ to work with mom Supriya Pathak than dad Pankaj Kapur

Sanah Kapur recently got married to childhood friend Mayank Pahwa in a beautiful day wedding ceremony that had the couple reading their customised wedding vows. Six months later, Sanah is all set to make her acting comeback with the film Saroj Ka Rishta, in which she plays a girl looking for a suitable groom. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Sanah opened about the film that also stars her mother, Supriya Pathak and why its always better to work with her than to work with her father, Pankaj Kapur. Also read: Shahid Kapoor, Mira Rajput share a kiss, Naseeruddin Shah brings bangles in Sanah Kapur’s wedding video.

Sanah also opened up about her own wedding which had her and Mayank make a promise to each other in front of closest family members. The actor is ready to play a bride on screen now, seven years after her debut film, Shaandaar. Excerpts:

You had a promising role in Shaandaar. Why did it take so long to come back with a project?

I am very happy to see myself on screen again. I did a couple of projects after Shaandaar. I had my own journey that I had to take. There were a couple of scripts I thought would work out but things didn’t fall through. I am a person, when I am in one thing, I am in that thing. Then there was the pandemic since couple of years, so not a lot of work was happening. I like to do characters that I connect with and are interesting enough. I was just waiting for that kind of stuff to come along. This was the character I wanted to bring to life for the audiences. I hope you get to see a lot more of me, even I want to be out there a lot more.

Your character dealt with body shaming in Shaandaar. The subject is somewhat similar to Saroj Ka Rishta as well. Is it a coincidence?

They are completely different characters. This film is really not about body-shaming. It’s a romantic comedy. Each love story has a unique character and Saroj is one such unique character. Yes of course, there is one particular theme which is common between both of them. It is something I believe in, what my character was saying in Shaandaar and what my character is saying in Saroj Ki Shaadi.

Have you faced body shaming in real life?

No, I am very fortunate. I have known a lot of friends who actually have, I have experienced body shaming through them. I have a really supportive family and great friends. When you see such kind of things around you long enough, you know how toxic that can be.

Kumud Mishra has been very supportive of his daughter in Saroj Ka Rishta trailer. Your dad too supports you in a similar way?

Yes, absolutely. He is very protective and is always there for me. He’s amazing, he’s always there to give me any advice I need not just related to acting. He is like my pillar of support and the shoulder I go to. Just two lines from him and all my issues get resolved.

Is there a scene which was very tough for you to shoot during the making of Saroj Ka Rishta?

Yes, there were certain tough scenes. One of the things that I had to learn was how to ride a scooty. We were shooting in Meerut and Ghaziabad, in the narrow lanes and the main market. We didn’t shut down the whole market, it was like a gorilla shoot where you are on a scooty and the camera is on a car in front of you. There were people and animals on the road, and I had to ride a scooty. That was one of the skills that I had to learn, and I am so happy about it because now I love it.

There are also some emotional scenes that were very taxing. We did a song during which there was so much rainfall that the entire set got ruined and had to be dismantled. I danced for 20 hours for a sequence, but that adds to the whole excitement.

In Shaandaar, you worked with your father Pankaj Kapur and in Saroj Ka Rishta, you have worked with your mom Supriya Pathak. How different it is to work with them?

Mom is there for a very short time in Saroj Ka Rishta, I just had one day of shoot with her. It is much easier to work with mom than dad, because she is very chill and she is my best friend. It is great working with her, the whole set would come alive when she was on set. With dad, I would just watch him. Also, Shaandaar was my first film and I was really nervous. But I learnt so much from them and really appreciate the opportunities I got.

You got married in March. What made you deviate from the wedding norms to have a customised wedding ceremony?

Both of us, we wanted to do something that we connect with. We wanted to do a little bit of everything — there was mangalsutra, sindoor, the whole walk down the aisle and saying a ‘yes’. I have enjoyed watching all kinds of weddings. We just wanted to do it our way. We both wanted it to be about our parents, they are our people we look up to. We wanted to have an intimate ceremony which is amongst the people we love and care about. It was about making promises to each other that are relatable to us in today’s time, what we wanted to say to each other and to our parents. That was fun and beautiful. Of course, you do the whole legality. A wedding is something you want to enjoy. I am glad both of us were on the same page and our parents were supportive. We both planned it ourselves, initially our parents were denying but they agreed soon after.

You and Mayank Pahwa have been childhood friends. Has life changed at all after marriage?

No. It’s the same because we have known each other so there is that friendship, compatibility and love. Nothing has changed, its great.