Janhvi says she feels weighed down by the “burden of privilege”
Promoting her film Homebound at the Toronto Festival, actor Janhvi Kapoor admitted she felt “ashamed” of being unaware of the socio-economic realities of her country due to her sheltered upbringing.
“The weight of my privilege felt heavy and I wanted to be as aware and responsible as possible. That was the reason why I came on board for this film — it felt very personal to me,” she said.
Backed by Neeraj Ghaywan and Martin Scorsese, Homebound tells the story of two childhood friends grappling with caste and religion, and has already drawn warm reviews at the festival.
But was Janhvi voicing genuine self-reflection, or simply delivering lines fine-tuned for an international audience? Netizens remain sceptical, dismissing her remarks as “PR-speak” designed to sound woke. She is not the first in her family to wrestle with privilege in public. Cousin Sonam Kapoor had once admitted, “I’m my father’s daughter… I am privileged. That’s not an insult.”
Yet Sonam’s other quips — calling herself “iconic” and an “overachiever” or saying she deserved a National Award for fashion — became instant meme fodder.
The scrutiny is relentless. A publicist points out, “Stars are expected to have an opinion on everything. It’s unfair — not everyone is aware or insightful. When they speak, they’re mocked. When they don’t, they’re mocked.”
A celebrity agent echoes the sentiment, “A regular person may not know economic policy or politics either. So why should film stars be held to a higher standard? When Alia Bhatt blanked on the President’s name, it was a faux pas — but how many Gen Zs even know the capital?”
Celebrities, then, are caught in a paradox. If they stay silent, they are labelled shallow; if they speak, they are accused of being scripted or insincere. Perhaps it’s worth remembering that stars aren’t meant to be flawless spokespersons for society — they’re actors.
The real issue may lie not in their imperfect answers, but in our unrealistic expectation that they must always have the perfect one
