By Arundhuti Banerjee
Mumbai, Oct 2 (IANS): From the time she entered Bollywood in 2007 with "Saawariya", Sonam Kapoor Ahuja mostly courted the limelight as a fashionista and a highly-opinionated person rather than with her acting skills -- till "Neerja" in 2016 changed that opinion for many. While the actress is happy with her career graph, she now wishes to be part of horror and action films.
"I haven't done any action and horror films, so these are the two genres I would love to explore. It would be so different and exciting for me because I haven't done anything on action. So, one of these two genres would be interesting to try out," Sonam, who looks forward to working with filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj and Shoojit Sircar, told IANS.
Starting her career as an assistant director in the film "Black" under the mentorship of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sonam is philosophical recalling her initial days when "Saawariya" turned out to be a critical and commercial failure. "The fate of any film is not in the hand of actors, so I do not think we could have done anything differently then. But people liked us -- Ranbir and me. Since then, both of us have worked with some of the most powerhouse filmmakers of the country," she said.
"I think as long as people are interested in working with you, as long as an actor gets a chance to be part of good stories, one shouldn't think too much on the fate of a film. Ranbir is a superstar now and I am doing okay," she smiled.
Sonam went on acting in films like "Aisha", "Khoobsurat", "Dolly Ki Dolly", "Delhi-6", "Raanjhanaa", "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", "Pad Man", "Sanju", "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga", and "Veere Di Weeding".
She said: "Initially I was disheartened to face criticism for no reason. There were times people criticised me and did not take me seriously because I love fashion and dressing up. I felt bad but I also love acting and the process of moviemaking so much that my passion towards my profession remain a constant drive."
"I love acting and fashion. I make every choice from my self-belief, and when you are driven by passion you are bound to get positive results. I have learnt to be patient and realised that patience is the greatest virtue in life," said the 34-year-old who was recently seen in "The Zoya Factor" opposite Dulquer Salmaan.
Being the daughter of the iconic Anil Kapoor, how does her father look at her career? "For dad, my career is secondary, but the person I have become with time as his daughter -- he is happy about that. He is proud of who I am as an individual. I started my career very young and lived under the scrutiny of people and the media and emerged a strong person. My dad likes that. For him, becoming a good human being is important. Of course, he is happy with my choices of films so far," Sonam signed off.