Boney Kapoor has a wealth of daughters. The father of three girls and a son, Boney beams, “Today, there is no difference between sons and daughters, and my four children -- son Arjun and three daughters, Anshula, Janhvi and Khushi – have brought immense joy and affection in my life with, fortunately, very few moments of stress.”
Acknowledging that their family has gone through its share of tragedies, Boney reveals, “I lost my wife, Sridevi, who was the love of my life, but to a great extent my kids have filled up that void. And, reciprocally, since my children have lost their mothers (Arjun and Anshula's mother Mona, and Janhvi and Khushi’s mother Sridevi) early in life, I am both their father and their mother now.”
Boney says that he has never been the kind of father who relates to his daughters through their mother. “I am their father as well as a friend,” he insists. “We talk directly and share our thoughts on everything. I feel blessed that I have four loving children who care a lot for each other.”
On Daughter’s Day, veteran film producer Boney Kapoor (Mr India, No Entry), shares heart-warming insight into his relationship with his three daughters. He emphatically states with a pleased smile, “Daughters are as good as sons. And, I think I am doing a reasonably good job bringing up my girls.”
On Khushi
“Khushi, my youngest child, is a strong girl, mentally. She is fond of sports and enjoys a game of squash. Unlike Anshula and Janhvi, Khushi is not demonstrative. Only sometimes does she express her love for the family, but at the same time she cares deeply. I remember when Sri and I would quarrel with each other at home, Khushi would be the first to get affected. She would stay quiet but those big eyes of hers would well up with tears. And I would have to reassure her, saying, ‘Bete, there is no question of my leaving you or the family and going anywhere.’
“Khushi has made a fine start in the industry – besides her upcoming debut film, The Archies, she has two other films lined up and has also landed a couple of endorsements.
“Whenever Khushi would dress up to go out, she would seek my approval first. So, now when I am stepping out for a party they are not accompanying me to, I ask my daughters, ‘Is this outfit looking good?’"
On Anshula
“Anshula is the genius of the family. She was a sensible, studious child and went on to graduate with honours from Columbia University. I told her I want to see her on the cover of Time magazine as a great achiever; and she has the potential. Despite her qualifications and capabilities, Anshula gave up her high-profile job at Google to take care of her elder brother, Arjun, because Mona had passed away and her brother was living alone. Anshula is strong and level-headed. Her thought process is aggressive, especially when it comes to looking after the family’s interest. She is protective of her siblings.
“When their mothers (Mona and Sridevi) were around, there was little communication between the kids but there was no animosity. When Sri passed away, Arjun came to Dubai to be with me while I was going though hell, and Anshula was the first one to be with Janhvi and Khushi.
On Janhvi
“Janhvi is all heart. So she has a tendency to get carried away and can be quite vulnerable at times. She is a transparent person who is extra sensitive. When Janhvi is out of town, she messages and video calls everyday with me. There are times when she says, ‘Dad don’t wear that cologne, this one is better’ and I oblige happily and switch to her choice.
“I think Janhvi is among the better actresses in her generation today. She has chosen to play different roles with varied shades of characterisation, and has carried them off well. She is also a fabulous dancer and has a good sense of comedy, but these facets of her prowess have yet to be tapped. She is tremendously hard working. I visited her on the Gunjan Saxena set when she was shooting as a military cadet who was required to crawl beneath a barbed wire and climb a rope ... which she did herself. My heart was in my mouth but it feels good when daughters do well.
“Janhvi has complete knowledge about what is trending in fashion. When we holidayed abroad, Khushi would be glued to the TV while Janhvi would accompany Sri and me on shopping trips and give valuable inputs on the clothes. She would push her mother to stay in step with the times.”
