Riddhima Kapoor Sahni: If it was true, Ranbir and mom would’ve stopped me

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni remembers first hearing about Daadi Ki Shaadi from actor and her mother Neetu Kapoor, who was fronting it. At the time, had someone told her that weeks down the line, she’d be featuring in the movie, she would’ve laughed at it. Today, she is excited about making her Bollywood debut and following in the footsteps of her parents, late Rishi Kapoor, and Neetu, and brother Ranbir Kapoor. “I think my father would have been proud of me doing this movie,” she smiles. 

Daadi Ki Shaadi, also starring Kapil Sharma and directed by Ashish R Mohan, revolves around the chaos that ensues during a wedding in the family and sees Riddhima play daughter to Neetu. “Two days after mom joined the film, I got a call from the producers, asking if I would join the cast. I think Kapil recommended me. Mom asked me to speak to Bharat [Sahni, husband] and get his opinion on it. Bharat will never stop anyone from doing anything and gave me the go-ahead.”

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni

While her brother Ranbir debuted in movies in 2007 and became a superstar, Riddhima largely stayed away from showbiz. Now, as she is pursuing an acting career, she is amused by the popular notion that women in the Kapoor household were not allowed to act earlier. 

“It isn’t true,” she states, “I didn’t act because I completed my graduation, fell in love, got married, and had Samara. Had this movie come to me then, I would’ve discussed it with my father and taken it forward. I did ads. If this myth was true, Ranbir and mom would have stopped me. My family encouraged me from the first step, including Alia [Bhatt, sister-in-law], my bua [Reema Jain] and cousins.”  

The family entertainer was shot in Shimla from April to June. For Riddhima, who was new to acting, embracing a character was a novel experience. She found perfect mentors in Neetu and Ranbir. “Mom and I would go over every line every time we FaceTimed. If there was a challenging scene, she used to give me variations of how to do it. Ranbir would also give me options and ask me to [approach a scene] differently.”