Shanaya's dark romance

She walks into the room with a bounce in her step that only a rack full of beautiful clothes can elicit from a woman who loves style. This is also the moment Cosmopolitan India’s (extremely) millennial editor is introduced to Shanaya Kapoor. At 26, the actor is among emerging Bollywood talents who juggle nepo baby debates, Instatrolling, and raging Reddit threads with an ease which belies their age and experience in the industry. 

On Cosmo’s set, Kapoor, who made her Bollywood debut with Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan (2025), comes with a confidence that only a generation raised by the internet can exude.

And, 2026 marks a turning point for her. This month, Kapoor stars in the survival-romance-thriller Tu Yaa Main, alongside another stellar actor— Adarsh Gourav. “Sometimes, you’re anticipating, waiting, and don’t have much to do. And then, when the opportunity arrives, it all comes pouring in. And that’s exactly what happened with me in 2026, starting with Tu Yaa Main,” she tells us over a video call, a few days after our cover shoot. Kapoor is alluding to the diversity of projects coming her way, including those she is not allowed to disclose at the moment. “I want to play all kinds of characters. That’s what excites me the most about my work, and I am thankful that the roles that I have auditioned for have been so unique. As an audience, I am super into horror, murder mysteries, thrillers, and now I am getting to do these roles, too. Because of the platforms that have opened up to us as actors—including OTT—we’re getting a chance to explore our art much more,” she says.

Once upon a time, the big screen was the ultimate rite of passage for Bollywood newcomers—it was also all about buzzy releases, balcony seating, big budgets, and bigger branding. Today, the landscape has entirely changed. As someone starting out in the industry, does it feel confusing, complex, or exciting? “I see it as a positive. There are more opportunities for actors to just evolve and dig into different kinds of characters. We get to explore what we want to do in more niche spaces— be it darker characters or just shows versus movies,” Kapoor says, adding: “All of these characters and newer platforms challenge you to do better, be better, and to work even harder. So it’s all very exciting. And the more the merrier, right?”

A bloody riot

Coming back to Tu Yaa Main—a February release, with two young actors—did we mistake it for a good ol’ romance for Valentine’s month? Kapoor argues that it is still all that with (quite a) bit of gore on the side. “This is what excited me about the film the most, the fact that there are many genres mixed into one. It doesn’t get better than that, right? You get to watch a love story, alongside a survival thriller, which is kind of crazy considering we’ve not really seen a lot of such storylines in Bollywood. And, while it is different, it is a risk too—and that makes it more exciting,” Kapoor says, admitting that she is a huge fan of adventure-horrors, including the Jaws series (1975–1987) and Crawl (2019). “And, so is my brother (Jahaan)... He was on top of the moon when he heard that I had bagged the film.”

In short, the love is intact, but it is more Lady Gaga (that’s a 'Bad Romance' joke, guys) and alligators, than date nights and sweet nothings. “I was trying to go through all the BTS of Tu Yaa Main on my phone and there was literally blood, sweat, and tears across our photos. And then, there were some of me and Adarsh just laughing and hugging each other—it was such a ride,” says Kapoor. The Bejoy Nambiar directorial is scheduled to hit the big screen on February 13.

Love, actually

On the topic of romance—we asked Kapoor what it is really like to date as a celebrity, considering a witty Hinge bio may not cut it when you are in the public eye. “There isn’t an easy answer to this because the scenario differs from person to person. There are many celebrities who are pretty open about their relationship and other aspects of their personal lives on social media. And, that’s completely their choice. On the other hand, there are also those who are super private about who they are off-screen. However, if I speak for myself, I like to remind myself that this is what I’ve signed up for. The attention will always be there because this is the profession I opted for. So, I won’t call navigating such situations difficult or easy. It’s just life,” she says.

This awareness is accompanied by the fact that while Kapoor is steadily emerging as the next big thing in Bollywood, one hardly sees her private life go public. “I am the kind of person who only wants her work to be the topic of discussion. That’s entirely my focus right now, and it will always be my priority,” she explains.

Still—what’s life without love? Especially for someone who has grown up being surrounded by the buzz of Bollywood, and the idea of romance that it is famous for. For the uninitiated, it’s all in the family for Kapoor, whose father, Sanjay, is an actor and producer in the industry since the mid-90s, while her mother, Maheep, is no stranger to the limelight either—especially after starring in the popular reality show, Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives (2020–).

Playing the part on screen, of course, is very different from getting into character in real life. And, as Gen Z, known as a generation that makes its own rules—what is Kapoor’s idea of love and romance today? And, has it changed over the years? “It has definitely evolved a lot. I am a big Shah Rukh Khan fan (I mean, who isn’t?). I’ve watched all his films and he is the undisputed king of romance. Like they say—his characters increase the stakes of love for every girl, and that’s exactly what happened with me. So, all the relationships I got into, I was like: ‘Listen, the bar is high, okay?’ This is what I’ve grown up watching in the movies and this is what I want! I want someone to chase me when I’m at the airport and tell me not to leave. It’s every girl’s dream,” chuckles Kapoor, adding that while the cinematic idea of love is hard to ignore, for today’s generation, that is where it mostly resides—at the cinemas. “Someone had said this once—my heart only breaks in the movies. That’s so me. It sounds quite funny, but it’s true.”

Safe space and soft landings

With 2.5 million followers on Instagram (at the time of going to press), our next question for Kapoor is about social media rules. Is it possible for boundaries to exist when the ever-expanding universe of online audiences knows what you ate for dinner last night or wore to your niece’s first birthday? Does the trolling, criticism-for-the sake-of-it, and comments that are curated to hurt, bother Kapoor? “It’s an everyday learning process. I don’t think I can figure it out overnight. It’s a mindset that can’t be learnt, but only built over time,” she says, adding that surrounding herself with confidants like her friends and mother, and seeking a safe space in activities like journaling, helps her disengage from online hate: “If it’s my work and there’s feedback to it—how I may have performed in a scene, danced to a song...basically how I can improve in terms of my craft, that’s the feedback I take and try to imbibe. And I make sure that those are the articles I read. But, if the comments are about how I dress, how my body looks or my skin texture photographs on a particular day—I just switch off.”

Now that social media has bridged the gap between stars and fans, has Kapoor figured out how to navigate the space? “If I want to reach out to a certain person, I send them a DM from my personal account because that’s just the kind of relationship I want to maintain with the audience. With my fan pages, I have also been able to build a relationship where they are like my friends, and I can connect with them directly if something that is posted about me is incorrect or makes me feel uncomfortable. And they are very receptive to my requests,” she says. And, if Kapoor had one suggestion for those who try to fight the urge for online validation—it would be to disconnect, disconnect, disconnect. And, to remember that there is no better sanctuary than the one that exists within ourselves. Onward, upward, and inward. 

Editor and interview: Snigdha Ahuja (@snigdha.ahuja)
Photographer: Sushant Chhabria (@sushantchhabria)
Stylist: Chandini Whabi (@chandiniw) & Elsie Chetry (@elsiechetry)
Cover Design: Mandeep Singh Khokhar (@mandy_khokhar19)
Makeup Artist: Riddhima Sharma (@makeupbyriddhima)
Hair Artist: Aanchal Morwani (@hot.hair.balloon)
Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)
Set Design: Janhavi Patwardhan 

On Shanaya: Outfit, all Rhycni (@rhycni); earrings, Vandals (@vandalsworld_unofficial); heels, Rene Caovilla (@renecaovilla); Conquest watch, Longines (@longines)