Vaani Kapoor: The whole concept of ₹100-200 crore club puts unwanted pressure

Vaani Kapoor has been in the film industry for nearly a decade now and she’s done myriad projects, including Shuddh Desi Romance (2013), BellBottom and Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (both 2021). However, if there’s one thing that bothers the actor, it is the hype associated with films racing to enter the ₹100-200 crore club. While she agrees with the importance of box-office success, she feels the pressure tends to get overwhelming at times.

“Box-office is important. You want to be able to earn out of a film so that you can continue creating art. [But] ever since the whole [concept of] ₹100-200 crore club came in, it has put a lot of pressure. Sometimes, it is a bit too much. People get scared of experimenting with subjects [because of the pressure]. It gets harder for them to mount films on certain people who are not already at the top of their game… Many things are in play because of the pressure to make sure your film reaches a certain number,” the 33-year-old tells us.

That being said, Vaani, who will be seen next in Shamshera,is glad that there’s space for every story on the cinematic canvas today. “If you do Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, you have an audience. You also have an audience for a Shamshera, which is for the masses and classes,” she continues, “Shamshera captures a vast audience and comes with a gamut of emotions. There’s laughter, emotional drama and action; there is so much happening, it is like a buffet of emotions… I’m glad that there is space for all films.”

Directed by Karan Malhotra, the period film, set in the 1800s, stars Ranbir Kapoor as the lead and Sanjay Dutt as the antagonist. While many may dub her choices as courageous and bold, Vaani says she feels grateful to be able to bring such “larger-than-life” stories alive.

“I have always watched larger-than-life films, and today, I get to be a part of one. The film is bigger than all its actors; it offers a cinematic experience where everything has been intricately taken into consideration,” she says.

Calling her character the “quintessential Hindi cinema heroine”, she adds, “Sona has an arc and evolves through the journey in the film.”