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Shanaya Kapoor is basking in the glory of her newly released film Tu Yaa Main. In a recent interview, she opened up about the early twists in her career and how what once felt like a setback ultimately redirected her toward a more meaningful beginning.
Shanaya Kapoor debuted in the romantic drama Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, where she starred opposite Vikrant Massey. Produced by Mansi Bagla and Varun Bagla under their banner Mini Films, the project became the true starting point of her acting journey.
Shanaya was initially set to make her debut with Karan Johar’s production Bedhadak, opposite Lakshya, directed by Shashank Khaitan under Dharma Productions. The announcement had created considerable buzz, positioning her for a high-profile launch. However, due to creative differences, the project was shelved before it could take off.
Reflecting on that phase, Shanaya shared, “I feel everything happens for a reason. What’s meant to be will be. I’m glad about the whole experience now that I sit here and look back at it. It’s shaped who I am today. The film getting shelved, and certain projects happening and then not happening, made me who I am today. It made me work on my craft much more during the time I wasn’t facing the camera,” Shanaya told screen in an interview.
Now, Bejoy Nambiar’s romantic adventure thriller Tu Yaa Main, her performance has been appreciated where she stars opposite Adarsh Gourav, another project that continues her trajectory of choosing layered, performance-oriented roles.
Before her Mini Films debut materialised, Shanaya had also been considered for Nanda Kishore’s pan-India fantasy action film Vrusshabha, starring Mohanlal, though that casting did not eventually move forward. During that period of uncertainty, she says she leaned on her father Sanjay Kapoor’s advice , to prioritise becoming an actor rather than chasing stardom. “My dad always said to me, ‘If you’re not getting the chance to perform in front of the camera, pick a scene and perform in front of the audience. But keep working at it. Keep your head down because that’s not in your control. Focus on that because what’s not in your control, you can’t do anything about it. So, what’s in your hands is you can keep working and making yourself a better performer, a better actor,” says Shanaya.
Interestingly, Shanaya’s journey began behind the camera before she stepped in front of it. She worked as an Assistant Director on Sharan Sharma’s Netflix film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, gaining insight into filmmaking from the ground up.
