In the past three years, Vaani Kapoor has been part of some big-ticket releases — War (2019), Bellbottom (2021) and now, Shamshera. But she is under no delusion. The actor admits she is far from a star, as she states, “I am the underdog.”

If her latest release sees her opposite Ranbir Kapoor, one of the biggest stars today, she asserts it’s the result of years of hard work. “I didn’t have to live up to a parent’s legacy, nor did opportunities knock on my door. [Yet], people said, ‘Oh, she is lucky!’ My place of privilege is that I found my way to Shanoo Sharma [casting director]. I got some opportunities, but what I made of those opportunities is what makes me. When I star opposite Ranbir in Shamshera, people want to know my credibility. They ask, ‘Why is she in this film?’ With each movie, I am trying to prove who I am as an artiste.”

The actor shut down many of her detractors with Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021). Vaani defied the norms of an industry that places importance on glamour by bravely playing a trans-woman in Abhishek Kapoor’s love story. While the film took the discourse around queer love ahead, it made little money at the box office.

Did the lack of commercial success bother her? “It was a risque subject. When we were making it, at the back of our minds, we knew it might not cater to a large audience. Was it a film for the masses? No. It aimed to create conversations [around a] subject that has hardly [been discussed] before. We are proud of the film we made. After it dropped on Netflix, it found love. That is half a step towards progressive thinking. As an actor, I am greedy to do such roles so that when I look back at my trajectory, I feel I have contributed to something respectable.”

For now though, she is busy enjoying Shamshera’s release. Happy to share the frame with Ranbir, she says, “I have so much respect for the actor he is. He has no starry behaviour. Working with him was a joy.”