Janhvi Kapoor faced a profound personal tragedy just before her Bollywood debut with the sudden loss of her mother, Sridevi. She recently shared how she tried to maintain composure in public yet experienced a severe panic attack during a dance reality show tribute to her mother. Kapoor’s film debut came in 2018 with “Dhadak,” the same year her mother passed away. Speaking with Mashable India, she reflected on the challenging period of promoting her first film while grappling with her mother’s death.
Discussing the Panic Attack Incident
Kapoor opened up about a particularly tough experience during a promotion. “I was on a dance show soon after the incident, while promoting ‘Dhadak’. My team was protective, trying to shield me from reminders of my mother. However, the show unexpectedly presented a tribute to her, playing a montage of her songs with an emotional narration, followed by kids dancing in her honor,” she recounted. Although Kapoor recognized the beauty of the tribute, it was overwhelming for her. “I couldn’t handle it. I broke down, ran offstage to my van, and had a full-blown panic attack. The show edited out my reaction, showing instead a clip of me smiling and applauding, which led some people to misinterpret my feelings,” she explained.
Confronting Public Judgment Post-Loss
Kapoor also spoke about facing public scrutiny over her handling of her mother’s death. “There was a strange judgment from others,” she stated. She described how remaining silent about her mother in interviews led some to label her as aloof. At the same time, her attempts to appear happy and move forward were misinterpreted as indifference towards her mother’s passing. Kapoor described this period as confusing, given the mixed reactions to her grief process.