Although actors Arjun Kapoor and Janhvi Kapoor are step-siblings who share the same father, but different mothers, their relationship is hard to define.
Since Janhvi's mother -- the great Sridevi -- died, the estranged siblings have begun bonding.
As Arjun said, this is the least he could do.
This Sunday's Koffee With Karan had Arjun playing the protective brother to an obviously vulnerable and painfully young sister. Arjun gave a very emotional account of why he chose to reach out to his father's daughters after their mother died.
This was a moment of great honesty in a talk show that routinely revels in subterfuge.
There is something genuine about Arjun. He seemed incapable of lying this evening.
When Karan Johar asked him if he was single, Arjun answered in the negative and also volunteered the information that he's ready for marriage.
We can now expect Arjun and his alleged lady-love Malaika Arora to make their relationship official.
The rest of the show had very little meat or heat to the chat. The siblings were heartwarming together. But that's about it. Beyond that, they had nothing to offer except giggles about Karan Johar's sexuality and Janhvi's ignorance about 'hook-ups' and other worldly things that men do with women.
There is something genuine and unspoilt about this sibling pair. Unfortunately two innocent people together on Karan Johar's couch amounts to hearing the correct answers for more than an hour.
We wonder how Boney's first wife Mona and second wife Sridevi would have reacted to all this talk about the family coming together.
Not that anyone is asking them.
On the show, Arjun spoke about how he handled the two girls Janhvi and Khushi and his father Boney Kapoor after the sudden demise of Sridevi.
Janhvi’s daunting and sensitive year
Janhvi said the support and love that came from Arjun and Anshula Kapoor was a comfort she needed and wanted to cling onto. She said, “I think I found it comforting for me to cling on to it as hard as I could and that’s what I have been doing. It’s just brought a sense of security and comfort and love and I think that I wasn’t overwhelmed by anything in terms of it. I never overthought it. It just felt right, felt nice and I felt like this is what I wanted. I think deep down I was hoping for this and waiting for it also.”
Arjun on becoming the pillar of strength:
On being asked how he handled the entire situation, Arjun answered, “A moment changes everything and I have been through that moment and I wouldn’t wish it for my worst enemy.
Whatever I did or however me and Anshula reacted was an impulse out of pure honesty to knowing that we would have need someone at that time and perhaps, we couldn’t have that at that point, as much we liked.
But that doesn’t mean Janhvi and Khushi shouldn’t. But at that point, it stemmed purely out of being a good son to my father because that is the first impulse. My mother would have wanted that. If she was alive, that is the first thing she would have said that ‘go and be there, make sure you are there.’ Don’t hold any grudges because your life is too short.
And it took me some time to get the courage to ask Anshula that I feel this is the right thing and what do you think because I needed her consent at the end of the day. I am going to be able to do this if I have her by my side. And I still remember, it was two or three in the morning, she had no idea and I called her and the first thing she said was ‘where are the girls?’.
That is when I knew that I am going to be there for Janhvi and Khushi till the best of my capacity, as long as I can be. It wasn’t so much about “I will be a brother to them” or “I will do this” or “I will do that”. It was just “be there” because they will not know what is hitting them because it was going to be a storm and it was a storm. And they conducted themselves with utmost dignity.”
.@arjunk26's friends talk about his penchant for acting and drama! #KoffeeWithKaran #KoffeeWithArjun pic.twitter.com/Q4ZMZj5G6v
— Star World (@StarWorldIndia) November 25, 2018
Bizarre coincidence
Karan revealed how Arjun and Janhvi lost their mothers right before their first release. While talking about it, Arjun shared how it feels to lose someone you love the most.
“We both, including Anshula and Khushi, we had our backbone snapped and then handed a new life to deal with. So, its like being handicapped for the rest of eternity but learning how to walk again.
To deal with perhaps the most amazing life you could get to be an actor, to be loved by the world, to be watched on the big screen is everything and more than one dreams of achieving. But you don’t have that one person that you want to come back home and share it with and you want to be vulnerable and you want to be normal with. So, now you have to be sorted when you are not sorted at all.
I think that is the connect that I had with her (Janhvi) the most. I have spoken more to her about it because we did have this ability to bond over.
She spoke to me about the YouTube comments and she had spoken about the trailer coming out and I couldn’t be there for the trailer as I was shooting in London. My heart went out to her because I know how that vacuum feels.
Its like I was living it again and my heart used to break every time because it is a bittersweet journey. You have to promote with a smile on your face. You will be asked questions that will remind you again and again. They are doing their job. You have to be professional.
I meet journalists who have such nice things to say about her. I still had experience in life but she was living a sheltered life. She could have spiraled but she handled herself better. There were lesser expectations from me, I was not a star son. I was a producer’s son but the reference point for her was very different. Her mother is a legend that defined a generation. People decided to work in this profession because of her,” said Arjun Kapoor.
Curious quirks of #JanhviKapoor unfold on the Koffee couch. #KoffeeWithKaran #KoffeeWithJanhvi pic.twitter.com/WS3ZDxgBLn
— Star World (@StarWorldIndia) November 25, 2018
WhatsApp group – Dad’s kids
Guess who is the most active on it? Boney Kapoor. Arjun revealed that the producer sends his old photos, every day without fail.
“It is funny that he is learning to be a father at this age in a very strange way and to see a glint in his eye that he wants to try is commendable. A man is willing to pick up pieces and understand all four kids from a different thought process and generation almost. Just the fact that he wants to be available, it is a lot more than it was six months back,” Arjun said.
I am not dating Ishaan Khatter: Janhvi Kapoor
Janhvi denied dating her Dhadak co-star Ishaan Khatter. What did Arjun have to say on her denial? “But I know they are close because he is always around. He is always around her,” he said.
But is Arjun single?
When the ball came back to Arjun’s court, the actor revealed he is not single. “No, I am not single. I have spoken a lot about this topic in the past. It has to fall in place. A lot that’s happened in my life in the last few months that has given me perspective honestly,” the actor said.
He continued that he is ready to take the next big step of marriage, Arjun said, “The last six months have taught me about life.
I was just doing the right thing at one point of time and then it snowballed into being something way more important. I finally feel sense of belonging and a family. From the moment the two and dad have reentered in life in a way where I realized you need a foundation.
You need a life to build beyond social media, relevance or Friday. So, you need something that keeps you happy and grounded something solid to hold on to and that is companionship. Yes, I think I am ready to get married.”
