'IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO SHARE A FILM WITH FAMILY'

Shahid Kapoor says he would be happy to work with any of his family members; adds his nearanddear ones were ‘overwhelmed’ after watching his last film, Padmaavat

It won’t really be erroneous to say that Shahid Kapoor is surrounded by actors within his family. While his father Pankaj Kapoor and mother Neelima Azeem are much respected for their craft, Shahid’s sister, Sanah acted alongside him in Shaandaar (2015). Now, the actor’s brother, Ishaan Khatter is also readying to start his acting journey with Dhadak.

Ask Shahid if he would love to work with Ishaan in the future and he says with a smile: “It’s always beautiful to share a movie with family. In such a case, things become even more special. So yes, it would be great and I would be happy to work with any of them. In fact, I haven’t worked much with dad as an actor (Kapoor Sr directed Shahid in Mausam; 2011), and I would really love for more of that to happen. As for Ishaan, he is just starting out, so, let him take off [in his career]. We will discuss those thoughts [of working together] later.”

Talking of his family, what was their reaction on watching him portray Maharawal Ratan Singh in Padmaavat? “I remember everybody was very overwhelmed once the film got over. They all were very happy, overwhelmed and proud. They all know how long the journey [of preparing for and playing the character] has been and maybe, that’s why I got a lot of love from them (smiles). It always feels great when the family loves your work,” says the actor.

Thanks to controversies and all the hullaballoo around Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus, the film took a very different publicity route, and one of them included actors not getting into the usual promotional routines. “The whole experience was very different [this time]. Usually, everyone says, ‘oh, promotion mein itna thak jaate hai (we get so tired due to promotions)’. So, vis-à-vis Padmaavat, we were like, ‘chalo iss baar itna karna nahi padega (this time, we don’t have to do so many things)’,” he says.

But the actor admits that a week before the film’s release, their patience wore off.

“Then, we were like, ‘I would rather be promoting and busy than sitting at home and just waiting [for the film to release]. But I don’t think there has been any other film in the Indian history that has had so much controversy around it, and has gone through such a unique kind of process to reach the theatres. So I guess it was just a very different kind of film. But all’s well that ends well,” says Shahid, adding that not many can pull off a historical the way Bhansali can.

“There are very few people who have been able to pull off historicals in our country. Honestly speaking, I haven’t seen a pure historical in Bollywood yet. I may have seen marginal periodic films but I don’t know if there is anybody except Sanjay sir who can pull it off,” says Shahid, who is busy shooting for Batti Gul Meter Chaalu after which, he will collaborate again with Imtiaz Ali after their cult hit, Jab We Met (2007). “It’s a very different and exciting film for Imtiaz as well. It’s a mainstream film,” he says.

I haven’t worked much with dad as an actor, and I would really love for more of that to happen. SHAHID KAPOOR, ACTOR

PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH

A still from Padmaavat