From Teen Patti to Baaghi 3, how Shraddha Kapoor became a star!

Pictures Courtesy: Official Instagram Account/Shraddha Kapoor

A lot of actors in the industry, particularly the ones belonging to film families, get a grand launch at the hands of their fathers or their friends. Shraddha Kapoor, despite being the daughter of the very popular and very successful Shakti Kapoor, didn't have it easy. She made her debut a decade ago with Teen Patti with two of the biggest stars in the world- Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley.

The film was hyped as it managed one of the biggest casting coups ever but unfortunately failed to give Kapoor the recognition she expected. The same happened with her second film, Luv Ka The End, where she was the one spearheading the cast. It took a while for her to become a household name and make a mark for herself in Bollywood.

Mahesh Bhatt's Aashiqui 2, which was directed by Mohit Suri, changed her life forever. Mukesh Bhatt, the producer of Vishesh Films, once said in an interview that their company takes a lot of pride in spotting talent rather than working with stars. Come to think of it, right from Kangana Ranaut to John Abraham to Kumar Sanu to Anupam Kher to Nadeem-Shravan to Arijit Singh, they all began from their opportunities.

Akin to the first Aashiqui, the driving force of the second film was its unforgettable music. Arijit Singh's haunting voice and Jeet Ganguly, Mithoon, and Ankit Tiwari's soothing soundtrack powered this heart-wrenching love saga into blockbuster success. From Shraddha Kapoor, the actress was suddenly Aarohi Keshav Shikre, the character she essayed.

She was an aspiring singer who was inspired by Lata Mangeshkar. Her naïveté and gullibility were captivating and made her immensely likable and we could root for her success. Even when she began climbing up, she remained as tender as she was at her nadir. And her chemistry with Aditya Roy Kapur became a pairing for the ages, at least for those brimming couples. Just like her character, she too was destined to be a star. There was no looking back for her then! She went on to deliver four consecutive successes like Ek Villain, Haider, ABCD, and Baaghi.

There were some major slumps in between in the form of Rock On 2, OK Jaanu, and Haseena Parkar. Talking about OK Jaanu, it still remains one of her most underrated films yet. Unlike Aashiqui 2, this romance was closer to the reality that reunited her with Aditya Roy Kapur. It was the story of two people who decide to give their friendship a chance and witness whether it's love or just infatuation. There were multiple montages of her and Kapur that captured their froth and frustration.

What actually remains her most entertaining film is the 2018 horror-comedy, Stree, directed by Amar Kaushik. She played a mysterious woman who talks in a hushed tone. Written by Raj and DK, Stree never allowed you to make wild guesses about her character that remains unnamed throughout. The end was the trump card when it is revealed what her intentions and motives were, and despite a permanent frown on her face, which also broke into a charming smile on some occasions, she had a sweet chemistry with leading man Rajkummar Rao. Stree 2 better be worth the wait!

And another impressive performance was in the 2019 dramedy, Chhichhore. She played Maya, the only desirable girl in an engineering college, and all the engineering students would know what it means! In the older potions, she was struggling with a broken marriage and her only son's suicide attempt. We never know how her marriage with Anirudh fell apart, but Kapoor infused her part with both charm and warmth. For a change, she had a meaty part that could not be discarded as mere eye-candy.

She has some massively commercial films to her credit, the latest one is Baaghi 3, which will go bonkers at the box-office, but she should visit films like OK Jaanu and Stree more often, without the crippling fear of commercial or critical failure. Her celluloid demeanour is piquant and she can go beyond dolled-up characters. More than thunderous success, we would wish for some braver films and performances for this lovely actress!

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