Sonam Kapoor is usually lauded for making bold fashion choices and speaking her mind. But what lies beneath the glamour and flash is a tale of struggle at a personal level, one many might not be aware of. In a previous interview, the actress spoke about her adolescence, sharing the emotional bruising of working with PCOS Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and how it translated into years of self-doubt.
Prior to breaking into stardom with movies such as Khoobsurat and Raanjhanaa, Sonam went through a hormonal disorder that many young women experience. She was diagnosed with PCOS, erstwhile known as PCOD, which resulted in spontaneous weight gain, facial hair and acne that refused to go away.
Appearing on Barkha Dutt’s Mojo Story, she spoke about that troubled period in her life. “I had something called PCOS.”. They used to refer to it as PCOD, but they actually changed it now. Due to that, I had to deal with several hormonal problems. So, I gained weight at the same time I turned 16 years old, which is when you are supposed to be your ‘hottest’. I used to have facial hair, I suffered from acne, and I had people tell me, ‘She’s Anil Kapoor’s daughter’.
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I was traumatised, she remembered. But in the midst of this anguish, Sonam gained a spark of hope and that spark was kindled by a very unlikely source. Her mother took her to look at a photograph of Bollywood icon Kajol, who had become a top actress even though she didn’t fit traditional notions of beauty.
At that time, I recall Kajol had a unibrow. She never did her eyebrows.”. She had hairline hair, and I recall my mom sitting me down and showing me Kajol’s photo, and she was all, ‘See her, she’s the biggest heroine now.’ I recall seeing her and being inspired,” said Sonam.Kajol’s self-assurance in carrying herself without trying to change her features reassured Sonam that beauty was not solely about conforming to conventional standards.
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It was a milestone that encouraged the young actress to gradually restore her confidence.
Professionally, Sonam was last seen in the 2023 movie Blind which she had finished working on prior to her pregnancy. Post giving birth to her son Vayu, the actress went on a break from films to prioritize her personal life and spend time with her loved ones.
