Janhvi Kapoor CONFESSES To Being ‘Depressed’ Despite Dhadak’s Success, Recalls, “I Knew I Sucked And People Hated Me”

Janhvi Kapoor made a high-profile debut in 2018 with Dhadak, a romantic drama that also starred Ishaan Khatter. Directed by Shashank Khaitan and backed by Dharma Productions, the film was the Hindi remake of the acclaimed Marathi film Sairat. Dhadak went on to perform strongly at the box office, earning around Rs 110.11 crore worldwide and receiving a largely warm response from audiences, especially for its music and the fresh pairing.

Janhvi Kapoor Confesses To Being ‘Depressed’ Despite Dhadak’s Success

However, behind the film’s commercial success and public appreciation, Janhvi Kapoor was navigating a deeply personal loss and emotional turmoil following the passing of her mother, Sridevi, just months before the release.

In a recent podcast with Raj Shamani, Janhvi opened up about that phase, revealing that she slipped into depression after the film released. Recalling her experience, she said, “You know, every time anyone talks to me about my first film, Dhadak, they are like, ‘she was so good in it’ or that ‘we loved Dhadak’ and ‘you earned a lot of money’… But my memory of Dhadak was very different. I was depressed after Dhadak. I thought ho gaya and that packup hogaya (I am done). People hate me.”

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She was just 21 at the time, dealing with grief while also stepping into the spotlight for the first time. Janhvi shared, “I got all of my validation in my life from my mom. She went away. So I was like, okay, I’m going to shift that to the audience. And I was expecting some across-the-board acceptance, which I didn’t know does not exist. I was only concentrating on the negative.”

Janhvi Kapoor On How Dhadak’s Release Coincided With Sridevi’s Passing

For Janhvi Kapoor, the timing made everything more overwhelming. Sridevi passed away on February 24, 2018, and Dhadak was released just a few months later in July. While the film found success and appreciation, she struggled to see it that way.

Speaking about her mindset then, she added, “I didn’t concentrate or even acknowledge the fact that it was a very… I think it was the most commercially successful film with newcomers up until Saiyaara. It didn’t even click to me that it was a hit. I just knew that I sucked and people hated me… Because I only looked at the negative, and that became my reality.”

Despite the positive reception and strong box office performance, Janhvi’s experience remained deeply internal and shaped by grief and self-doubt. Her candid admission sheds light on the emotional pressures that come with a debut, especially under such circumstances.

On the work front, Janhvi Kapoor now looks ahead to new projects, including Peddi, where she will share screen space with Ram Charan, as she continues to evolve and take on more diverse roles in her career.

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Also Read: Janhvi Kapoor Reveals Seeing Her Morphed Image On P*rn Site At 15, Calls Incident Weird; Says, “There’s No Morality”

Varsha Tiwari

Varsha Tiwari is a budding content writer passionate about Bollywood, pop culture, and the stories behind the spotlight. She enjoys breaking down trends, celebrity moments, and film narratives into engaging, reader-friendly content. Always curious and observant, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communication and Journalism. Outside of writing, she enjoys painting because storytelling doesn’t always need words to make an impact.