It was meant to happen: Shanaya Kapoor on taking 3 years to make her acting debut in Bollywood

Mumbai: Newcomer Shanaya Kapoor is excited to make her acting debut with Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, a moment that was delayed by three years but she doesn’t mind the wait.

Shanaya, daughter of actor Sanjay Kapoor and Maheep Kapoor, was earlier set to debut with producer Karan Johar's Bedhadak, a project that was announced in March 2022 but it was later shelved.

She is now marking the start of her acting career with Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, a musical romance in which she is paired opposite Vikrant Massey.

“It's a surreal feeling, and it's overwhelming when you see yourself on YouTube for now. I'm seeing myself and I'm putting my music videos on and I'm constantly seeing how it's looking, what the audience has been saying, and it's an overwhelming feeling.

"It’s all come together, and I'm happy with how the journey has been. If it's taken time, if it has had its ups and downs... I think it was all meant to happen for me to be here today,” Shanaya told PTI in an interview.

The 25-year-old is aware of the baggage and scrutiny that comes with being a star kid and said she takes everything in her stride.

“I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into and what I was choosing to do as a profession. There are preconceived notions, there is criticism, a sense of pressure but I take it positively.

"I look at it as feedback. There are certain things that you can keep aside when it comes to the way I dress, or look, or how my body is; those are things I can filter out," she added.

What she is looking forward to is the audience response to her performance in the movie.

"I owe it to the audience to know what they have to say, what their opinion is, or what they think of me, my work, the little bit that I have put out there, like endorsements. I'm looking for feedback so I can keep working on it. I take the criticism in a very constructive way.” Shanaya essays the role of Saba, a visually impaired girl, in the movie, which is directed by Santosh Singh and written by Mansi Bagla and Niranjan Iyengar. “I'm grateful I got to play a complex and beautiful character like Saba and to be part of an amazing film with Vikrant,” she said.

As part of the preparation for the role, Shanaya revealed that she visited a blind school, an experience that turned out to be quite enriching for her.

“There were certain things that you feel, like you value yourself, you’re grateful for what you have. Sometimes we wake up and we're constantly chasing the next thing, the next project or the next meeting.

"I'm constantly wanting the next thing, especially with my career and work. I don't sit back, and I don't realise what I have, which is that I'm with my parents and brother. I'm happy, I'm healthy, I'm getting the opportunity to do this, so you feel overwhelmed," she said.

As Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan gears up for its release on July 11, Shanaya said the anticipation is similar to waiting for exam results, “I'm waiting for that, and I'm hoping, praying, and having my fingers crossed that the audience accepts me. I’ve to earn their respect through my hard work, my honest choices, no matter where you come from, whatever the opportunities are, they have to accept you as an actor, they have to believe that you're this character," she added.

Post Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, the actor has an exciting lineup of films -- survival thriller Tu Yaa Main with Adarsh Gourav, Vrushabha with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, and Student of the Year web series.

Aankhon ki Gustaakhiyan is presented by Zee Studios and Mini Films and produced by Mansi Bagla and Varun Bagla.