Back in 2008, after her debut, Sonam Kapoor talked about herself after being compared to Deepika Padukone, she had something to say about her position in the industry at that point.
Despite her debut film not doing well at the box office, the actress, who comes from the Kapoor family of film royalty, was unshaken in her confidence.
Speaking at a press conference for the 54th Idea Filmfare Awards, Sonam, then 23, made it clear she didn’t see herself as an "underdog," even though her debut movie, 'Saawariya, failed to create a box-office splash.
“I did my first film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and my second film with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. These are big names and I am on top of the world,” she said . “I am not at all an underdog. I am Anil Kapoor’s daughter. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.” Sonam added.
Though 'Saawariya' didn’t fare well commercially, Sonam still found value in the experience, gaining critical acclaim for her performance. She discussed that while the box office numbers didn’t match the hype, she "got whatever she needed" from the film, reinforcing her belief that success is measured by more than just financial returns.
But what really caught attention was Sonam’s comparison of herself to fellow debutant Deepika Padukone. Deepika had starred in the 2007 blockbuster 'Om Shanti Om' and walked away with the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Sonam, on the other hand, didn’t get the award she thought she deserved for 'Saawariya'.
"Awards are important and it was important for me to win one for 'Saawariya'. I was quite upset that I didn’t get the award,” she candidly admitted.
However, the most telling part of the interaction came when she compared her career path to Deepika’s:
"I can't compare myself with Deepika. She is doing mostly commercial roles and I am not. She is signing more films, but I want to do one film at a time. It takes nearly a year for a film to be made and that’s why I am being seen lesser than her."
Today, both actresses are highly celebrated and have found loving partners, each with one child.
Deepika Padukone was recently seen in Rohit Shetty's 'Singham Again', which is still playing in theaters, while Sonam Kapoor's most recent appearance was in the 2023 crime thriller 'Blind', where she portrayed a visually-impaired investigator. The film is a remake of the 2011 Korean movie of the same name.
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