Ayesha Kapur made her debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black in 2015, in which she played a blind, deaf and mute girl sharing screen space with actor Amitabh Bachchan. But other than that and a role in Sikandar (2009) as a child actor, Kapur has stayed away from celluloid after that.Talking about her life post Black, The 27-year-old who grew up in Auroville says that she did not grow up watching films really. Talking about her life post Black, Ayesha says, “People back in Auroville don’t really watch films. It wasn’t the same as growing up in Delhi or Mumbai. People didn’t make a big deal about me having been in Black and being famous. I remember that only when I’d go to Pondicherry people would recognise me and take autographs… and it would be embarrassing.”
She admits that her upbringing was different that is why she never let fame and money go to her head. “At Auroville you don’t brag about fame and money as you don’t want to come across as a showy person. For me it was a little overwhelming navigating all that. But I am grateful for the opportunity to do the film,” she adds.After the stellar debut, which also got her multiple awards, she reveals that her father took a decision on her behalf to stay away from Bollywood.
“My father is super protective and he didn’t want me to be caught up in the whole Bollywood thing. They weren’t living in Mumbai and they didn’t want me to lead that life. At that age one is very impressionable. People tell you that you are good and it could have had a negative impact on me and affected who I grow up to be,” she shares.
Living currently in Goa, she says living outside Auroville made her realise how difficult it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle on a daily basis.
“That also made me realise that I want to be in this field and embrace health and wellness. I graduated last year from Columbia University with Sociology and I did a year long health and nutrition course. I want to share that with people. I live in Goa now and help people achieve their health goals and be their healthier self,” explains Kapur, who also is the co-founder of an accessory company with her mother.
