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| Edited By: Nayandeep Rakshit |Source: DNA |Updated: May 07, 2016, 07:05 AM IST
Sonam Kapoor’s launched her own app and is the first Indian celebrity to do so. Before I can pop my first question, Sonam turns the interviewer and quizzes me about her app. I give a quick review to the ever-smiling Sonam and we proceed to a candid chat. She is one of the most tech-savvy actresses of her time and regarded the social media queen. Here’s Sonam talking about her new app, her connect with social networking and more over a dozen bouts of laughter…
Because I think it’s a natural progression to what I was doing before. You consolidate everything together and then add to it. That’s when I felt I needed a platform which was created specifically for my needs and Disciple (the creators of the app) came in. My friend Varun (from Disciple) who I’ve known since I was very young came up with this idea of doing it the way we have done it. And I feel they have done an amazing job.
It happened about less than a year ago. The idea was initiated by Varun. All of a sudden, he decided that he wanted to do this and I loved the idea.
Ya! There are many people who have the app. Kardashians are the most popular. But mine is nothing like them. It’s very different. But even being the first Indian actress it doesn’t feel any different. I feel it’s good to start a trend but it’s always difficult to start it because if you are the first to do that, you have nothing to look at as an example. And the market is fairly new. Also, you have the distinct advantage of being the first as well which is really cool. That’s the same thing I am going to try and do with Rheson (her high street fashion line). We own the IP, it’s completely designed by us. So we always want to do something which is different and not conform or put ourselves in boxes.
If you ask me this, with all honesty, I have to tell you that my app is extremely different from everyone’s. First of all, they have a different format. The great thing about celebrity personal apps is that every celebrity has their own set of likes and dislikes. That’s what is showcased in it. So it caters to the personality and following of the celebrity.
Yeah! (She almost jumps in her couch smiling) Do you like the name?
I feel groupie was a name that got lost in the ’70s. Tribe is like a community who are like minded and who follow you because of the values and things you represent.
I am glad that people are giving me the credit for starting it. But Dubsmash was something that I thought will be fun and cool. I really didn’t think that ‘Oh my God, I am going to start a trend or invent a new promotional strategy.’ It just happened and I guess that’s again about doing it first because when you do something first, it becomes all the more relevant than when you do it second or third.
It’s extremely important, don’t you think? Look in the room, everyone’s on their phone right now! Just notice. Except one person, everyone is busy on their mobiles, responding to messages or checking pictures or putting up stuff on their social media handles. That’s how the world has become. It’s what the present is, it’s what the future is going to be. So you walk around and you spot everyone’s busy on their phones, on their tablets or laptops. That’s how people communicate. I even read the news every morning nowadays on social media.
Salman Khan for sure! Because he’s fun and there are a lot of things going for him. There’s his charity, there’s him supporting different other causes. People just like watching what he does and his fans will go crazy knowing what Salman does throughout the day. It would be interesting! Then, Sachin Tendulkar should also have an app. I think he will be amazing. But you know there’s one person I would love to see on social media. Sonia Gandhi! I wanna know what’s happening. She’s quite mysterious, no?
I don’t! I block them! You know what trolls are? They are short, ugly, scary little creatures who you read about when you were young. So you should just avoid them. Because you wouldn’t want nightmares!
People like to slot you in a box and create an image of you. That is something which social media gives you a control over.
My app is my favourite (smiles)!
Snapchat! Because it’s so much fun. It’s really quick and everything goes away in like 24 hours. So there’s no history and nobody knows what you did if they missed it. I do really stupid stuff on Snapchat.
One thing that I am not very sure of is, it’s very addictive. Sometimes, you can forget to live your real life and you start seeing everything through a lens, as opposed to seeing through the naked eye. That can be overwhelming, but then again, the most amazing thing is that it gives you the ability to connect with people. The world has become much smaller because of that.
Kate Hudson is amazing on Snapchat. In Bollywood, I think Salman, Shah Rukh, Amitabh Bachchan. They are fun.
(Cuts in) You have not been told. You have been following me on Instagram so you have seen my pictures. (Smiles) I love photography. I hope you like my pictures.
I like taking pictures of everything but if I had to pick one, I would say human beings, any day. I love clicking pictures of people and their different moods. It’s so candid.
You just told me in the beginning of the interview ‘Don’t travel, do more films’. (Laughs) But now, I am going again. I am going to Cannes now and then immediately after coming back, I fly to Europe again. Yay! I need a break now before I start Rhea’s film this July end.
