As it happens every week, the country watched and dissected every bit of Koffee with Karan. Every moment of every episode is scrutinised and put under the very exacting microscope of public opinion. With Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan on the couch, new fodder was given to the Peddi controversy, shade was thrown at a supposed relationship, and a lot of general drama, merriment unfolded. But the moment that stood out for me was Janhvi Kapoor’s oily hair and kaftan confession.
The IT-girl of Bollywood, the glam goddess, is just like the rest of us girls. Underneath the highlighter, the luscious hair and the sexy clothes is just another girl who wants to go home and “de-glam”.
Here’s a fun fact: Most girls, no matter how polished or sexy they seem, go home and turn into Adam Sandler. With old fuzzy socks, baggy shorts and a T-shirt that has seen better days and half the contents of our fridge.
Janhvi Kapoor is just like that, but more desi.
“That’s the real me,” she said. And I get it.
Kapoor understands the power of a good champi (it’s a cure-all), and the freeness of a kaftan.
Sorry, dear male gaze, but most girls don’t actually roam around their homes in sexy lingerie.
It is hard enough being a woman; it is harder still to pretend to be something we are not. And for someone who lives in the public eye, appearances are everything. I applaud Kapoor for her candour. It is hard to be honest and admit who your true self is when perception and appearances are your bread and butter. Kudos to her.
But Janhvi Kapoor’s reality is one that many women share.
Also read: Naseeruddin Shah and the burden of being an atheist objector
What women want
From the moment we wake up there is but one thing women want: to be ourselves. In this patriarchal society, women are often expected to be damsels in distress but still glowing with strands of hair framing their face, or ethereal angels, put together and polished to perfection. This leaves little scope for a champi or fuzzy socks.
So we spend our days toiling away waxes and leave-in conditioners, face masks and sleep creams, all to cater to the idea of the perfect beauty. Yet, we fall short. For a woman such as Janhvi Kapoor—beautiful, put together and glamorous—to admit that that is not who she truly is was brave. Not only is the oily hair signalling the effort that she puts into her appearance, but also the toll it takes on a person.
It is not a vision most men would want—a woman unravelled. But it is one that most women aspire to.