“I Pretend to Be Dumb” — Janhvi Kapoor’s Stark Admission on Dealing with Male Egos in Bollywood

Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor has triggered a wave of controversy after revealing that she often pretends to be “dumb” on-sets in order to survive male egos in the industry. Her candid comments during an episode of the show hosted by Kajol and Twinkle Khanna have sparked a fiery debate on gender bias, privilege and performance in Hindi cinema.

Kapoor admitted that despite being born into a film family and enjoying certain advantages, she still confronts old-school male behaviour. She said there were situations where, even though she understood what was going on, she had to act as if she didn’t — simply saying, “I don’t understand, what do I do?” rather than calling out the “nonsense”. She described it as a survival strategy: a way of navigating sets where male egos dominate and speaking up might backfire.

Her frank admission has provoked polarised responses. Many women in the industry have chimed in, sharing that they have used similar tactics to placate dominant co-stars. One Reddit user wrote:

“This happens so much … basically everywhere.”

Yet others are critical of Kapoor’s framing, pointing out that her privileged background means she has far more resources than many female actors who don’t have the Kapoor legacy. One commentator commented:

“Imagine what it must be for smart independent outside ladies !!!”

The setting of the discussion added fuel to the fire: while Kajol argued she never adopted such tactics herself, Twinkle Khanna seemingly validated the strategy, saying she too had to at times stay silent or play along to maintain peace. This divergence sharpened the discourse: Is Kapoor’s tactic a pragmatic response to entrenched sexism, or a perpetuation of the problem by choosing submission over confrontation?

Kapoor also revealed she has an “antenna” for chauvinistic behaviour — she said many people claim to be progressive but still harbour backward-thinking attitudes. This layered her strategy of play-acting dumb not just as submission, but as calculated diplomacy: knowing when to speak and when to stay quiet.

This revelation arrives at a time when the film industry is under increasing scrutiny for its gender dynamics, pay gaps, and dominance of male personalities. Kapoor’s comments lay bare the undercurrent of daily compromise female actors might face — a compromise rarely acknowledged publicly. Some critics believe her admission opens the door for honest conversations, while others argue it normalises silence rather than resistance.

From a public relations perspective, the statement is risky: it immediately invites scrutiny into how Kapoor may handle confrontations, and whether the survival strategy will increasingly become a make-believe scenario rather than a stepping stone toward change. The backlash online was swift: many praised her honesty, others questioned whether the problem lay in the industry or in accommodating the egos.

As conversations swirl, one key question remains: will Kapoor’s revelation catalyse structural change — encouraging production environments where female actors don’t have to pretend — or will it simply underscore the adaptation women are forced into? Either way, Janhvi Kapoor’s words have ignited a debate about power, voice and silence in Bollywood that is unlikely to fade anytime soon.