Amazing Grace

For her debut cover, actor Khushi Kapoor opens up to Cosmo India Editor Pratishtha Dobhal about life so far, her love for cinema and fashion, and her hope for the future.

- Pratishtha Dobhal

"Pardon me while I burst...A decade ago, I never thought I would be.. At 23, on the verge of spontaneous combustion...But I think it comes with the territory..."

When Incubus released their lead single, Pardon Me in 1999, and I discovered it many years later, what struck me was how obsessed singers and players were with the prime number, and how much of a life-defining time this could be for someone who had turned 23.

At the sweet spot of being young and carefree, still wafting through corridors of rebellion, very rarely has 23 been known for internalising and exuding a cool state of equilibrium, self-assuredness, and inherent grace-qualities our cover girl Khushi Kapoor embodies effortlessly turning her into the MVP [most valuable player] at 23 as she made her debut with The Archies on Netflix this month, ending the year with a trailblazing new beginning.

Walking into the studio, 10 minutes before her call time and the pre-promotional rounds for The Archies were set to take off, Khushi eased into the set for her first solo debut cover shoot [ever!!!], immediately relaxing the hecticness around her with her cool demeanour. Showing only a hint of nerves as she stood in front of the camera with hair and make-up in place, she slipped into the first look after keenly going through the rack of glam, thoughtfully curated for her. With every click, Khushi met the frequency of expectations the crew and I had, giving us a whole range of expressions and emotions, telling of an actor who understood what was needed and put her all and everything into delivering it.