'FAMILY IS PRIORITY OVER SUCCESS OR FAILURE’
Shahid Kapoor, who turns 39 today, wishes to connect remain to his inner self, ‘a student for life’ ‘good and and stay pure’ in the coming year
Asuccessful actor, a loving husband and a doting father, Shahid Kapoor has balanced his personal and professional life pretty well in all the years that he has been working in films. His last year’s release, Kabir Singh, created a stir at the box office and right now, he’s shooting for his next, Jersey (Hindi remake of the 2019 Telugu film by the same name), a sports drama in which he essays the role of a cricketer for the first time. As Shahid turns 39 today, he stresses that this year, he wants to connect to his inner self, remain “a student for life” and “stay good and pure”. He plans to celebrate the day working on the sets of the film, surrounded by colleagues and family. Excerpts from an interview:
So, it’s a working birthday for you this year. Any special plans?
I’m celebrating my birthday in Chandigarh, as we’re shooting here. I might get a little time off once my family is here and I’ll be spending some time with them. It’s a working birthday as I’m in the middle of the schedule and didn’t want to take a break.
Is there any professional or personal goal that you want to fulfil as you step into a new year? Being grounded is very important. Success and failure come and go, but family is priority for me. To sustain a long career, you need to stick to the basics and stay connected with yourself as a human being. I feel very fortunate that I have two kids (Misha and Zain) and my wife (Mira Rajput) by my side. I’m happy that we’re always there for each other.
Walking down memory lane, what are some of your fondest birthday memories you can recall?
I have memories from my birthdays during childhood that include some bad behaviour on my part. I was quite into gifts. I’d grab gifts from the guests and run away. My mum would get very embarrassed. She’d call me back and ask me to thank them and behave well. But, I was very greedy for gifts. That’s something I remember and I hope I can teach my kids to not be like that (laughs).
Last year was a game-changer for you. With Jersey releasing this year, is it already looking exciting? What happened with Kabir Singh is something that made us all extremely happy. It was a great year. Eventually, an actor understands that nothing matters more than the love and connection you have with the audience. They gave Kabir Singh much more than what any of us had expected. I’m very grateful and thankful for that. I don’t want to assume that everything I do will be the same. But, the only thing I want to do is to give my audience a really good film. When I saw Jersey, it moved me emotionally. I felt that the message that the film gave, was very inspiring. Also, it’s a very sensitive film about the victory of human spirit. I wanted to take the story forward and share it with a wider audience. I enjoy giving people something new and fresh each time. I don’t believe in formulas, and today, audiences want to see different things. My upcoming film will have its own unique energy and a very different character to offer the audience.
To sustain a long career, you need to stick to the basics and stay connected with yourself as a human being.
SHAHID KAPOOR ACTOR
KABIR SINGH (2019)
As the hot-headed, possessive Kabir, complete with his beard, Shahid’s lover act struck a chord and the film emerged as the biggest hit of his career. Though it had its own set of controversies, what one can’t deny is that Shahid proved he is capable of shouldering a commercial film.
ISHQ VISHK (2003)
It was with this film that the world was introduced to Shahid — complete with his innocent and chocolate boy looks. Girls swooned over this clean-shaven guy, and the film, co-starring Amrita Rao, was bound to be a hit.
JAB WE MET (2007)
After Ishq Vishk, Shahid tried to deliver on his fans’ expectations with similar kind of roles. But none found the same kind of acceptance as his debut film. However, Jab We Met’s Aditya changed his career around. As the introvert guy, who meets the extrovert Geet (played by Kareena Kapoor Khan), one got to see his sensitive side. No wonder it’s counted among his finest performances!
KAMINEY (2009)
This Vishal Bhardwajdirectorial gave Shahid another chance to showcase his talent. As twin brothers Charlie (who has a lisp) and Guddu Sharma (who stutters), he got to play two extremes, and bowled everyone over. This was the beginning of Shahid venturing out of his comfort zone and attempting gritty characters.
MAUSAM (2011)
Though the period drama failed to do wonders, Shahid got to play an Indian Air Force officer. Starting off as a happy-go-lucky guy, smitten by a girl (played by Sonam K Ahuja), it was his transformation in the second half, as an understated guy, that made him graduate to the men’s club.
UDTA PUNJAB (2016)
Who would have imagined the boy next door would transform into the wild rockstar Tommy, who spews cuss words at the drop of a hat? Shahid, once again, proved his mettle with this role.
HAIDER (2014) R... RAJKUMAR (2013)
With this Prabhudheva film, Shahid tried his hand at action for the first time, and it sort of worked for him. As the brash Romeo, he played the quintessential larger-than-life hero, who beats multiple goons at the same time. However, this one, again, didn’t give Shahid the kind of success he was looking for.
Now, this one stunned audiences! To play a simple guy who then turns into a vengeance-seeking man is something that only Shahid could have pulled off. Breaking away from the stereotypes of a Hindi film hero, he played the titular role in this Vishal Bhardwaj adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
PADMAAVAT (2018)
Shahid proved to everyone that his versatility is unmatched, as he did a historical period drama for the first time and nailed it as Maharana Ratan Singh. His ability to effortlessly slip into the regal setup was a winner.