(L to R) Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Sadia Khateeb, Neetu Kapoor, and Kapil Sharma on the set

Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, the third season of Netflix’s popular reality series, showed that Riddhima Kapoor Sahni is comfortable in front of the camera. Unsurprisingly then, she is following in the footsteps of her parents — late father Rishi Kapoor, and mother Neetu Kapoor — and brother Ranbir Kapoor by foraying into movies. She recently wrapped up her debut film, which sees her as the female lead alongside Neetu, and Kapil Sharma.

One’s first film is always special. It is more so for Riddhima as the yet-untitled movie, which revolves around the chaos and hilarity that ensues during a family wedding, sees her play daughter to Neetu on screen. Riddhima reveals that the senior actor, who was first roped in for the project, approached her at director Ashish R Mohan’s behest.

“When mom narrated the story and my role to me, I instantly connected to it. It has everything, tears and laughter,” she says.

The family entertainer, which also stars Tejaswini Kolhapure and Sadia Khateeb, went on floors in April as the team shot in Mashobra and other parts of Shimla. Was she jittery on her first day of shoot? Not really, shares Riddhima.

“I wasn’t nervous or apprehensive at all on my first day of shoot; I was excited. Mom would sometimes give me tips on what to do, which were helpful. We had fun working together; we’d rehearse our lines together. She is not used to seeing me crying. So, when I’d cry on camera, she used to get emotional. My husband [Bharat Sahni] and daughter [Samara] were with me. I used to send stills of my shots to my brother [Ranbir] and he would give his feedback too.”

Clearly, the fashion and jewellery designer has enjoyed her brush with acting. Does this mean a new Kapoor has joined Indian cinema that has been dominated by her family over generations? Will she pursue movies and web series?

“Never say never,” Riddhima smiles. “I enjoyed the process of acting and filmmaking, and I am happy with the way the film has shaped up. Through the journey of this film, I have evolved so much as an actor and a person.”

Jewellery designer Maheep Kapoor gained fame for her sass and style in the first two seasons of Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives. However, in the third season, audiences were introduced to a more intense and emotional side of her. Reflecting on this shift, Maheep, who is married to actor Sanjay Kapoor — the younger brother of Bollywood stalwarts Anil Kapoor and Boney Kapoor — shares, “There is a very vulnerable side to me, and I think it’s about the circumstances.”

In this season, the 42-year-old opened up about her health struggles, including a stint in the ICU and her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes: “It’s a reality show, so whatever you’re going through in that moment is the vibe and feeling you’ll convey on screen. You can’t always be jumping around happy and excited — that’s just not realistic. It came out very organically and I didn’t overthink it.”

She continues: “I’m not playing a character, I’m just being myself. Every woman can relate to each one of us in different ways, which is incredibly gratifying. It’s difficult to put your life out there, especially in an era of social media where judgments are fast and harsh. People are quick to judge but not quick enough to understand. But the love is overwhelming, and I’m grateful that people get us.”

Maheep, whose daughter Shanaya is set to make her acting debut, speaks with pride about the connection she’s fostered with her audience. “There’s a great sense of pride,” she says, adding, “I’m a middle-aged woman, and I’ve said many times that I was very complacent and comfortable. Then Karan (Johar, filmmaker) came along, shook me up, and offered me the show.”

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni recently made her debut with the reality TV series Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives. Her entry into the world of entertainment feels almost inevitable, given that she’s the daughter of late actor Rishi Kapoor and actor Neetu Kapoor.

“Everybody knew this (stepping into the spotlight) would happen at some point. But they didn’t know when,” Sahni shares, adding, “The decision was made organically when an opportunity [from filmmaker Karan Johar] arose.”

Does she feel any pressure to live up to the Kapoor family legacy? “I’m doing my own thing. I’m living a beautiful life with my family in Delhi. People talk so much about privilege. My privilege is living with my family. I get to spend so much time with them, both in Mumbai and Delhi, and I express gratitude for that every single day. So legacy for me means… I’ll try and prove myself every single day to whatever ability I can and take it from there,” the 44-year-old says.

Naturally, her first sounding board was her mum, Neetu. “My mum was all for it. She told me, ‘You’ve been a fan of the series, and you could have a good time filming it. This is a shot. Go for it’,” Sahni recalls, adding that her brother, actor Ranbir Kapoor was also supportive, “Ranbir never says anything (objects). He told me, ‘You want to do it, do it. We are with you’.”

When asked if she was nervous about how the audience would perceive her, Sahni admits she doesn’t dwell on online reactions. “People will say good and bad things. I never cared about the trolls because unka kaam hai bolna, humara kaam hai ignore karna. The reality is I also got a lot of love online, and I’m grateful for it,” she says, adding, “I do what I want to do, whatever makes me happy. I’m not looking for validation.”

Neelam Kothari Soni’s honesty has a way of shining on the screen. As she pursued her acting career in the ’80s and early ’90s, she was the quintessential girl-next-door, whose one smile was enough to break hearts. However, she quit acting early to focus on her family. Decades later, as she returned to the screen with Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, it was her charm and her vulnerability that endeared her to audiences again. As the reality show’s third season streams on Netflix, the actor opens about how it has brought her closer to her three friends—Maheep Kapoor, Bhavana Panday, and Seema Sajdeh—her reaction to the new entrants on the show, and putting up her life for public scrutiny. Edited excerpts from the interview. 

I’m absolutely enjoying it. Doing a reality show is not easy. We’ve reached season three and are diving deeper into a person’s life and their personality. There are days where I have felt uncomfortable, but by and large, it’s a blast because I’m with my besties.

During season one, I found it very difficult. But then in the consecutive seasons, I felt that the more vulnerable you are, and the more you show your true personality, you win hearts. I think the show has done so well because each one of us has come out and spoken about our life that normally people wouldn’t talk about [as it would make them] uncomfortable. In the first season, I did my fillers. I don’t think anyone in India has ever come on a show and said, ‘I do fillers’.

In the first season, the actual action happened after the cameras stopped rolling. It was the first fight. These things happen between friends. We just didn’t anticipate it happening [so soon]. Maheep and I were wondering, ‘What the hell just happened?’ But that’s the nature of this show. You never know what’s coming because it’s not scripted. We don’t know what the other person is going to say or what I’m going to say. That makes it a little challenging because you don’t know what’s coming your way.

Before we started rolling for season one, I was scared because earlier, the only way people got to know anything about a star was through letters. There were hardly any interviews that happened. So, I was apprehensive because for the first time, people would see the real me, my equation with my family and my friends. But after the show dropped, I was pleasantly surprised that we all got so much love, especially me because I’ve been part of the industry.

I don’t think it has [revived] my acting career, but it has definitely put me back in the spotlight.

That’s me as a person. Even in real life, I’m careful and cautious. That is my personality. But in season three, I’ve cut loose a little bit.

Some people will love us, some people will hate us, but they definitely can’t ignore us.

I felt like that in the beginning. The four of us felt like this is our show, but having new people on board [leads to] different conversations and different scenarios. But we take this very personally. We four are the OGs.

In every season, when I’m on holiday with the girls, I cut loose. I’m just a different person. The holidays are definitely my favourite part. We went to Mauritius this season. The best thing about the four of us is that there is no competition. There is a certain comfort that only comes from being friends for so many years.

Seema Sajdeh, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavana Panday and Neelam Kothari Soni weren’t exactly excited about including three outsiders in Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, after fronting the past two seasons. Were they feeling territorial?

Maybe, admits Sajdeh. “We were a little resistant because we four can be clan-ish. We’ve been friends for long. You are in your comfort zone when you reach your 40s-50s, and to let new people in your life is daunting. But as we hung out with each other more, I had a lot of fun,” says the fashion designer of her new co-stars, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Kalyani Saha Chawla, and Shalini Passi.

The third season sees a face-off between the Bollywood personalities and the Delhi socialites. Sajdeh enjoyed witnessing Sahni, daughter to Neetu Kapoor and the late Rishi Kapoor, making her screen debut with the Netflix series. “I’ve known her for years, and had attended her wedding. She is a total hoot.”

In the course of the past two editions, Sajdeh’s personal life has undergone a change. She separated from actor-filmmaker Sohail Khan in 2022, after 24 years of marriage. In the latest season, she is seen speaking to her elder son, Nirvan Khan, about moving on in life after her divorce.

Sajdeh reflects, “He is like my best friend. When I have to make an important decision, the number one approval I need is of my son. I want him to look up to his mother. I want him to understand his mother’s journey. If there is one person I can be transparent with, it’s him.”