'Imagine Losing Your Mother And It’s Entertainment': Janhvi Kapoor Recalls Media Scrutiny After Sridevi’s Death

Janhvi Kapoor reflects on growing up under intense media scrutiny, exacerbated by social media's rise during her teenage years.

Janhvi Kapoor reflects on growing up under intense media scrutiny, exacerbated by social media's rise during her teenage years.

Source : Instagram

Living under constant public scrutiny is never easy—especially when you are the child of two of India’s biggest stars. Janhvi Kapoor, daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, has experienced this first-hand.

In a recent conversation with Vogue, the actress reflected on being in the limelight since the age of six, how it shaped the perception of her, and the challenges of navigating fame alongside personal tragedy.

Janhvi Kapoor On Paparazzi And The Rise Of Social Media

Janhvi recalled how celebrity kids today are shielded from media exposure, unlike her growing-up years. She said the social media explosion coincided with her teenage years, which she feels was the most difficult time to be under the spotlight.

“I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the magnitude of social media and paparazzi culture. In fact, this entire social media boom really happened when I was hitting my teenage years which is, I guess, the worst time to be in the public eye,” she admitted.

Wishing Her Debut Had Shaped Her Image

The actress confessed she would have preferred her first public impression to be through her debut film rather than glimpses of her personal life. According to her, early media exposure cemented an image of privilege that distanced her from audiences.

“The problem was that they had seen me growing up — which school I went to, if I was going to a concert with my friends, if I was holding my mom’s hand and going to the airport and really excited that I finally got to wear her heels. That really fed into this perception of extreme privilege that, I think, alienated the audience from me a little bit. But once you’re already exposed, it takes a lot to pull back,” Janhvi said.

On Sympathy And Grief

While people often comment on Janhvi’s privileged background, many also feel empathy for the loss of her mother. However, Janhvi believes this perception of sympathy doesn’t really exist.

“Where is this empathy? I want to see some of this empathy,” she remarked.

She further explained that both she and her sister Khushi projected a strong exterior, which led people to think they weren’t vulnerable. “My sister and I have never let them see the cracks, and because of this, people have felt they can throw mud at us, that we are not really human. That took empathy and sympathy completely out of the question.”

On Loss And Cynicism

Janhvi admitted that losing her mother at the age of 20 could have sent her and Khushi down a destructive path. “I don’t think anyone can understand what we went through. The loss is one thing but the damage that came after really made me cynical about human nature,” she said.

She recalled how she was often hounded by the paparazzi during that period, where even her expressions became fodder for public judgment. “I would be hounded by the media and if I smiled to promote my film, I was criticised for seeming too okay. If I was quiet, then I was perceived as too cold. It’s unfathomable that it could become a meme. Imagine losing your mother and it’s entertainment for half the nation.”

A Tragedy Before Her Debut

Sridevi passed away in February 2018, just months before Janhvi made her Bollywood debut with Dhadak in July of the same year. The actress admits that her mother’s loss—and the public gaze that followed—has deeply shaped her outlook on life, fame, and the industry.