EXCLUSIVE! Shahid Kapoor: I craved to be known for my acting

Shahid Kapoor is all geared up for the release of his upcoming film ‘Rangoon’, alongside Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan. In the film, Shahid plays a strong soldier, Jamadar Nawab Malik, who is a patriot working for a selfless purpose. The actor feels Nawab is completely opposite to the character he portrayed in ‘Udta Punjab’, who was a self-centered and obnoxious druggie. The actor, who won several awards and accolades for his brilliant performance in ‘Haider’, and is all set to portray Rawal Ratan Singh in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Padmavati’, has cemented his position as one of the most talented and sought after actors of Bollywood.

(Also read: Shahid uncomfortable filming intimate scenes with Deepika?)
However, in an exclusive interview with MissKyra recently, the actor admitted that when he started his career as an actor, he craved to be known for his hard work and talent, and not his looks and desirability. “When you start off as a mainstream Hindi film hero, most of the times it is about desirability, popularity and about being cute. That doesn’t mean you are a good actor. Anyone who comes into this field to be an actor craves that. I did; I wanted to be known for my acting, my effort, my work, my ability and my craft. Of course, it’s nice to be popular and it’s nice to be liked, but eventually you work really hard and you want that work to reach out to people and want them to know that you are good at what you do. He was the first one who gave me that opportunity so I am ever thankful to him.” said Shahid.

Talking about how filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj altered the course of his career with ‘Kaminey’ and later ‘Haider’, Shahid added, “A large part of who I am as an actor today is because of the two films that he (Vishal Bhardwaj) had given me. ‘Kaminey’ and ‘Haider’ were the two films where I was able to reach out to people. People liked my work and felt that I was a good actor.”

Watch the entire interview here:




(Also read: Shahid to sport heels in ‘Padmavati’ to match Deepika’s height)