Exclusive article: Fabulous Bollywood Housewife Maheep Kapoor on being the Queen of Sass

Being part of Netflix’s The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives was petrifying because this is the age of social media, where judgment is easily passed and abuses are aplenty. And all this happens directly, because everyone has access to you.

When the show dropped, I got so much feedback about my on-camera swearing, what with being a woman/wife/mother etc., that I was quite bothered, at least initially. But with the s**t show 2020 has been for everyone, it’s best to focus on the good. Like the memes, which are so flattering! I’m a bit of a tech spaz and didn’t follow memes earlier, but I’m loving them since my kids Shanaya and Jahaan introduced me to them. Whether they’re good or bad, the memes show that people are hooked to the show!

On the show, I’m just being myself. I’ve done half a movie and know I am a s**t actress. But people are watching the show. They are hating me, but not ignoring me. What more can I say? At 47, I can’t change the way I am or apologise for it! 

“At our age we are so comfortable in our lives, the show wasn’t something we were looking for. But when the opportunity knocked, we couldn’t ignore it.”

—Maheep Kapoor

This is why, before the show released, my husband Sanjay (Kapoor) had warned me to grow a thick skin. He said, “You’d better be clear in your head or you won’t be able to handle it. Then don’t come crying to me.” When the show dropped, he was in Nasik, but did mention that he was overwhelmed by the messages he was getting.  

(From left)Seema Khan, Bhavana Pandey, Maheep Kapoor and Nilam Kothari – Jumping into a reality TV show was petrifying for all of them

This wasn’t something any of us were looking for. At our age we are so comfortable in our lives, our kids, homes, work. But when the opportunity came knocking, we couldn’t ignore it. It felt right because it was raw – that’s why tempers flared in that episode between Seema (Khan) and Bhavana (Pandey). I loved the fight – it was fab! Those making sexist comments about how a group of women will inevitably fight, maybe try being like a woman and let your feelings out! There should be different points of view. Everything isn’t hunky-dory. If you don’t fight with your friends, you just aren’t close enough. 

(As told to Karishma Kuenzang)

Maheep Kapoor is a jewellery designer and wife of actor Sanjay Kapoor

Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter and Instagram

From HT Brunch, December 13, 2020

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