When Sridevi trolled Janhvi Kapoor for not knowing how to speak in Hindi, left the mediapersons in splits

Actor Janhvi Kapoor turns 25 on Sunday and in celebration, we are revisiting an old public appearance of her with her late mother-actor Sridevi. Janhvi is the eldest daughter of Sridevi and her film producer husband Boney Kapoor. She made her acting debut in 2018 with Shashank Khaitan’s Dhadak. She has since starred in multiple films with different directors and co-stars and is considered among the most promising young actors in Bollywood. Also read: Janhvi, Khushi remember mom Sridevi with childhood memories on death anniversary

However, due to her celebrity parents, Janhvi was never away from the limelight. This throwback appearance with her mother Sridevi is from an event in 2012 when Janhvi was just 15 years old. She attended the launch of one of People magazine’s issues that featured Sridevi on the cover with Janhvi and her younger sister, Khushi. They were also joined by Boney Kapoor.

At the launch event, the media persons also asked Janhvi to speak a few words in Hindi. Janhvi, who did not have much experience speaking in Hindi was at a loss for words. She fumbled a little in her reply. “Hindi mein? I don’t… Ji mujhe abhi pata nahi main abhi school mein padhai karaai hu aur (I don’t really know. I am currently a school student and)…” she said as Sridevi took the mic from her hand. 

The actor trolled her daughter and asked the media not to ask her to speak in Hindi. She said she will be bullied into speaking Hindi but cannot help but fumble. Sridevi also hilariously imitated her daughter’s broken Hindi, leaving all laughing. Janhvi, too, was amused at her mother’s antics and laughed. She also apologised to everyone for not being able to speak in Hindi.

Janhvi has come a long way since then. She has starred in movies such as Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Roohi, and Lust Stories, speaking Hindi rather fluently in all films. Her upcoming movie is Good Luck Jerry.

Sridevi died in 2018, just a few months before Janhvi’s acting debut. Janhvi often has to deal with comparisons with her superstar mom. Earlier speaking with Hindustan Times about it, she had said that she wasn’t too ‘excited’ about that. 

She had said, “I think it’s just genetics and biology. I am her daughter so zaahir hai ki main unki tarah hi dikhungi (obviously I would look like her). But my mum holds such a strong space in people’s hearts and had a very personal connect. I hope I can please her fans also in some way, in a bid to show gratitude for all the love she got. I hope I’m given an opportunity to create my own identity. I don’t think anyone can be like her. What she had to offer to films and to people’s lives was greater than what any artist could.”