Snehashish roy
In a revealing appearance on the chat show Two Much With Kajol & Twinkle, actress Janhvi Kapoor opened up about a behaviour many might assume is orchestrated—yet, she says, is rooted in survival. Janhvi admitted that she sometimes pretends to be less capable than she is in order to manage dynamics of male egos on film sets and in meetings, a strategy that both surprised and resonated with viewers.
“With a smile, Janhvi told hosts Kajol and Twinkle Khanna, ‘There are times when I pretend I am not capable enough, I play dumb… It’s just easier than fighting every ego in the room.’” The statement offered a rare look behind the polished promotional appearances to the reality of navigating the power-loaded corridors of Hindi cinema.
She went on to explain why she adopted this approach: “It’s not about disrespecting anyone. I just found that when I let others believe I didn’t mind their advice, then in the moment I could quietly take control. I learned very fast that if you challenge the ego at the wrong time, the room shrinks for you.” By using the pretense of incapability, Jhanvi said she created a space where her ideas could slip in unobtrusively and gain traction, without sparking direct confrontation.
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The anecdote struck a chord. Kajol, adding her own experience, recalled earlier years in the industry when she too had toned down her assertiveness. “I was meek in my 20s just to survive,” she reflected. Twinkle chimed in with a sharper take: “That masquerade of dumb is your armour, Janhvi. But make sure you don’t put it on for so long you forget who you actually are.”
Janhvi responded with both humour and candour: “Exactly. I pretend for just long enough to finish the job, and then I remind them – you asked for me.” In that way, she insisted, she turns the tactic into strength rather than surrender.
What emerged in the episode is a view of the film industry that many seldom articulate: beneath the glamour, shine and reel-life empowerment lies a terrain still shaped by real-life power plays, gendered dynamics and subtle negotiations. For Janhvi, her “dumb act” is less about hiding and more about staying alive in conversations where boldness is often misread or shut down.
Audience reaction mirrored both surprise and support. Social-media discussions praised her honesty—“Finally someone said it out loud,” read one post—while others debated the implications: is survival by playing small still survival, or is it complicity.
Janhvi, though, kept the tone clear and measured: “I wish this tactic won’t be needed forever. One day I hope I don’t have to pretend.” But until then, she said, she’d keep using the room the way it allows her to—quietly, strategically and on her own terms.
As she sat between Kajol and Twinkle, two women whose careers span decades, Janhvi’s revelation felt generational. The younger star is navigating a world built by pioneers but still echoing old codes. She’s not rejecting tradition—just working within it with more clarity.
By the end of the segment, it was obvious: the era when actresses had to choose between silence and shouting might be shifting. Janhvi’s strategy may not look radical, but in an environment where always being the loudest voice can backfire, her quiet art of “pretending” turns out to be a bold form of agency indeed.