<h1 class="full">I’m at Sonam Kapoor’s Bombay home, surrounded by her team. They are worried this will be a controversial interview, so everyone is nervous. Bebo and bonergate are still fresh PR wounds, you see. I hit the room with a bright smile, blank and amenable. “Why is everyone scared of her, she’s such a softie,” Sonam complains, genuinely puzzled. </h1>

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<h1 class="left">It’s hard to code-switch to my online persona with Sonam because she sees right through it. The first time I interviewed her was for Vogue, over 14 years ago, when we were both in our 20s and extremely silly. A simpler time, shall we say. Not easier, but certainly simpler. The coverline then for her debut Vogue cover was ‘From 90 kilos to perfect 10’ which should give you a sense of what magazines used to be like. GenZ wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised us.</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">When we talk about Sonam’s journey into motherhood, she immediately, instinctively starts talking about her body. “I was 36 when I got pregnant, and I had to take a lot of progesterone. In the first three months of my pregnancy I put on 15 kilos. And after that, it was just not ending, I went back to my heaviest ever. Which was still okay while I was pregnant but when the baby comes out, you actually think that you're going to go back to your old body. That doesn't happen. It's taken me a year-and-a-half to lose the weight.”</h1>

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<h1 class="right">Body image issues never leave you, do they? Not even when you’re a movie star. Especially not when you’re a movie star. “In this profession you're constantly scrutinizing yourself, forget other people scrutinizing you. And I’ve grown up in front of everyone from the age of 17 or 18. And I've also seen myself age, my body has changed, my face has changed, everything has changed. It’s difficult, it's traumatic. It's always been difficult for me. There's always been a body struggle. I mean, I don't want to say ‘struggle’, but it is that.”</h1>

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<h1 class="full">Sonam is a very involved mom, to the point of disappearing from public life for a couple of years to focus on her son Vayu. “Becoming a mom was so important to me, I wanted it so badly. And then I just needed to be a mom for two years. Of course I’m really blessed because I have a lot of help, but I want to do everything.” She considers for a moment, “I realized that when you have your baby late you feel like you want to be more involved with your child? I think it also comes from a sort of guilt. But my husband helped me a lot, he was sharing every single duty with me, he was there every step of the way.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">Right on cue, Anand comes in with Vayu, “What's up? You look nice.” </h1>

<h1 class="centre">“I do?” </h1>

<h1 class="centre">“Always.” </h1>

<h1 class="centre">“I love you.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">Her husband is still completely smitten with her. “Yeah,” she agrees, smiling. “Nice, na? Nine years together. I'm obsessed with him, everybody keeps saying oh my god, he loves you so much. Even I love him, but he's a softer person. I'm like a little more…cool. I got lucky, others are not that lucky. He's a nice guy.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">“You get nice guys in India, Aishwarya,” she says pointedly.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">I snort. She takes off on me.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">“All the man-hating that's happening on your social media, why? I was like actually people have not sat down and spoken to you. When people see your social media they think you’re a very tough girl. But you’re not. You’re a romantic. Why won’t you just be romantic? Just tell people how you really are, what is this drama?”</h1>

<h1 class="centre">No need.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">There has always been something endearing about Sonam — I liked her immediately upon meeting her, and have liked her ever since. She remains my favourite nepo baby, a bundle of sunny, ditzy energy with that face-splitting smile and a clever brain that people don’t anticipate. Most importantly she’s a delightful wrong-things-sayer in an industry where everyone is constantly trying to say the right things when they don’t mean them.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">“You know I always thought I was non-judgmental, but then I realized that I was like, the most judgy human being on this planet.”</h1>

<h1 class="centre">Lmao. What made her realize this? Was it watching her old interviews? They’re my faves.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">“Yeah! Why did you never tell me this?”</h1>

<h1 class="centre">Because it was too much fun while it was happening.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">“The amount of shit I've gotten away with saying when I was younger, can you imagine if I did this now in the social media era? I would be cancelled and crucified.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">Sonam is much less foot-in-mouth these days (a tragedy, if you ask me) and has chosen fashion to be her way of making a statement. “I feel like we forget that fashion can be a political tool, because we're so taken in by the beauty of it. But the clothing choices you make actually define who you are. A lot of actors don't like to be called this but we are the major influencers. And I hope as someone who is influential in the way people dress, I can change things a little, you know? Some actors don't care, they want to look hot. Which is fine, honestly, no judgment. But I love fashion, so I want to do it.””</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">She wore Syrian designer Amir Al Kasm for one of the Ambani pre-wedding functions (don’t ask me which one, the last few months are a blur of pure trauma). </h1>

<h1 class="centre">“I had beautiful American and French designer gowns, but I wanted to wear this Syrian designer. I don't know how many people noticed it or made that connection, but it was important to me. Like it’s important that I wear a Saudi designer who is queer.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">Sonam has also brought the limelight to emerging designers and highlighted textile and craft in a way we haven’t seen for a while. “We're not used to seeing textiles or interesting craftwork on celebrities anymore. Nobody wears textiles. I don't know why.” Her choice of a traditional Mogos in exquisite brocade by Ladakhi label Namza Couture for (yet) another of the pre-wedding events brought a lot of attention to the designers Padma Yangchan and Jigmet Disket, a small glimpse of just how powerful celebrity fashion is. This was also the case with a Banarsi sari repurposed into a lehenga by Gujarati designer Jigya Patel, Sonam’s pick for a friend’s wedding. Or indeed a beautiful, minimal ivory handwoven silk chanderi ghagra from sustainable label Re-Ceremonial. The knock-on effects are undeniable. </h1>

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<h1 class="full">“We are still so West-obsessed, though. I feel like we need to have pride in who we are and what we create. Everything starts from here. Most jewellery is manufactured in India, all the embroidery and couture is made in India. We have everything. Except for pattern making, which we need to develop a little more, and which I think we are working on. We have the know-how and the talent, but we also have an inferiority complex and we're scared. I feel like a lot of it just comes from fear.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">She pauses, “I mean, sadly, at the end of the day, bridal is where designers make most of their money while internationally, accessories is where the money is. So okay, make your bridal wear but at the same time you can create beautiful collections, right? Anamika [Khanna] does that. And I love the fact that Sabya is making cool clothes again because he's got a New York store, while at one point he was only making bridal lehengas. I'm excited to wear his clothes now.”</h1>

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<h1 class="full">Nothing gets Sonam talking like fashion. She loves clothes, and she can talk to you about clothes endlessly, for hours. How clothes are made, what they signify, the ways in which they shape culture and conversation. “I love how Natasha [Poonawalla] celebrates fashion,” she says. “Everything she does is ironical, you can tell she’s having fun. And I think that’s what fashion should be. I do take it seriously, I think it’s an art form, but you have to have fun with it. It’s there for consumption after all. Everybody’s not going to be a Lee McQueen. Everybody’s not a Galliano. God have you seen his Margiela collection? It’s fucking insane. So good, oh my god, I died when I saw it.”</h1>

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<h1 class="right">Has getting older changed how she dresses? “Definitely. I feel like people don't dress for their age. I'm a little more muted now, especially with colour. My core style hasn’t changed, but I was more trendy then, and now I'm more classic. I would buy a lot of high street when I was younger, I would mix. But now I want to buy a few pieces that are just really, really nice. And rewear and rewear. I love the Phoebe Philo collection, I picked up a lot of it. Everybody's been doing that aesthetic a lot, but when I bought her clothes I realised nobody does it like Phoebe.”</h1>

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<h1 class="full">There’s a pattern in the kind of designers Sonam leans towards, a love for women dressing women. “Now that you’re saying it, yeah. I’ve never really thought about it that way. There's something there I think, I feel like it's just easier to wear? It speaks to me.” She loves Anamika Khanna of course, an old favourite, but she also adores Prada and what Maria Grazia is doing at Dior, “I like the idea at Dior, celebrating women, celebrating the artisans who are creating the clothes. I love how women-centric it is. A lot of the time she's successful and a lot of the time she's not, but at least she's trying to have a point of view. There’s also Tamara [Ralph, previously of Ralph and Russo] whose couture dresses I love. Or when Sarah Burton was at [Alexander] McQueen! She's one of my favourite designers, her clothes had a hardness and a romance, which perfectly describes women, especially today's women. Or look at the designs by The Row, Roksanda, Emilia Wickstead. I feel like when women design for women, everything just works.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">Sonam is more than just fashion, though. She has a deep love for film and acting that isn’t going anywhere. “I'm going to start acting again, whether people want me to or not,” she laughs. </h1>

<h1 class="centre">💀</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">“It's weird though because the roles I'm getting offered are still of a 20-something. I just recently got offered one of a girl whom her parents want to get married. I was just like, are you sure you want to offer this film to me? It doesn't make any sense. Another role was of a girl in school who becomes a sportsperson. I thought the role would be split between a younger actor and me, but they wanted me for both! They were like, we'll make it work. I was like, no, I can't make it work! You know, because now they can de-age you. I don't want to be de-aged! Can you imagine me de-aged.”</h1>

<h1 class="centre"> It's flattering, though, isn’t it, to still be considered for these roles? “I mean, obviously I don't look as young as a Jhanvi or a Khushi, but I'm quite grateful for the fact that people think of me as someone who's not aged much. Even though I've had a kid and all of that. I guess because my kid’s not been out there for the world to see? And I want to keep it that way,” she says firmly. “It’s nobody’s business but mine, right? Vayu didn't choose to be famous, I can't put that pressure on him. And there are too many like gross, weird people in the world. I don't want my child's face out there for as long as I can control it.”</h1>

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<h1 class="full">I tell her she’s being too sweet, this is all too sweet, I miss the brat. “I’m dying to be spicy ya but now I’m a walking, talking Hallmark card. You know the most amazing thing about having a child is that you get to see the world the way they see it. I think that's why we have babies. The cynicism goes away a little bit. We live in a horrendous world but I think when you have a child, the joy comes back.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">Fine. Be sweet.</h1>

<h1 class="centre">“You know you can still have a kid if you want to.” </h1>

<h1 class="centre">Hard pass!!!!!</h1>

<h1 class="centre">“It's the same thing as having a cat, I want you to know. That's why I don't have a pet. I have a child.”</h1>

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<h1 class="centre">Editor-in-chief & Creative Director: Kshitij Kankaria </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Photographer: Tim Walker </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Managing Editor: Anurag Sharma </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Art Director: Suprit Parulkar </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Stylist: Flora Huddart </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Hair & Makeup Artist: Namrata Soni (Image 1)</h1>
<h1 class="centre">Makeup Artist: Namrata Soni (Image 2)</h1>
<h1 class="centre">Hair Artist: Hrishikesh Naskar @hrishidoeshair (Image 2) </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Photo Assistant: Antonio Perrcicone </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Project Manager: Joel Piccinni </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Editorial Concepts and Fashion Team: Karishma Diwan & Ruhani Singh </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Creative Producer: Jay Modi </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Producer: Imraan Khatri Productions </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Beauty Partner: Tira </h1>

<h1 class="centre">Outfit 1: Custom Anamika Khanna </h1>
<h1 class="centre">Outfit 2: Vivienne Westwood</h1>

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