Shanaya Kapoor has opened up about her preparation process for her role in Tu Yaa Major, revealing how she approached understanding and embodying her character ahead of the film’s release. Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, the romantic thriller stars Kapoor opposite Adarsh Gourav and is slated to hit theatres on Valentine’s Day.
EXCLUSIVE: Shanaya Kapoor reveals Black Panther-inspired prep for Tu Yaa Major: “I didn’t need to play it stereotypically”
Speaking about her role in an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, Shanaya shared that the primary defining aspect she knew about her character was her career. “The very first thing I knew about my character was that she’s this content creator,” she said, adding that it became necessary for her to seek out authenticity in how the career was portrayed on screen. “I wanted to seek out a number of truth in her and truth within the career that she does since it is a vital aspect of the film.”
The actor explained that she consciously stayed away from familiar portrayals often related to social media influencers. “I didn’t need to play it on this stereotypical way that folks do. There’s this perception about content creators—when you create a reel, you’re talking in a certain way otherwise you’re in that girly zone. She isn’t that. She is this whole badass,” Shanaya said.
Kapoor also spoke about an acting technique that helped her connect more deeply with the character. She revealed that in a workshop conducted by Adarsh Gourav and Atul Mongia, she was introduced to the concept of animal study—something she had never explored before. “Considered one of the techniques that Adarsh also introduced me to during Atul sir’s workshop was animal study,” she said.
As a part of the exercise, Shanaya selected the black panther because the animal closest to her character’s personality. Explaining her selection, she said, “Black panther is the animal that I selected due to the gaze that she has, the strength she has, how she has this very sensual, charming side to her, and the way confident she is in the best way she moves.”
To internalise these traits, Shanaya immersed herself in observing the animal closely. “It really helped me watching videos of this animal. We actually even did a day where we performed because the animal,” she shared. Taking the exercise a step further, she revealed that she kept a picture of a black panther’s eyes as her phone wallpaper throughout the shoot to stay connected to the character’s emotional core.
Tu Yaa Major marks Shanaya Kapoor’s second theatrical release and pairs her with National Award-winning actor Adarsh Gourav for the primary time. With Bejoy Nambiar on the helm, the film is anticipated to mix romance with psychological and emotional tension when it releases this Valentine’s Day.
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