He is one of the younger stars of Hindi cinema, but even at only 28, Shahid Kapoor has made his mark in the industry. In his career he has taken on a variety of roles and with each performance has proven that not only does he have that “it factor”, he is also a great actor. We first saw him in Ishq Vishk and from there he has grown into an actor who brings many layers to each of his characters. He can do funny, he can do mad, he can do serious, and of course he can do in love. His many fans love every aspect of his performances and eagerly await each new release to see what he will thrill them with next. Coming up this Friday they and audiences will see two new sides of Shahid as he takes on the roles of Guddu and Charlie in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey. BollySpice.com, in association with Shahid Kapoor Online, got the wonderful opportunity to interview the actor, and he talked with us about working on Kaminey, why his roles in Kaminey are his favorite to date, and a few other filmi things as well! Enjoy!
How was it working with such an acclaimed director like Vishal Bhardwaj, and more importantly, what did you take away from this experience?
I think every actor should work with Vishal once as he makes you discover a side to your personality that you never thought existed! He makes you see the side inside you that you hadn’t even known. We all have a comfort zone in which we operate – doing things that we are good at doing and are comfortable doing. What he does is – he picks you right out of you comfort zone and drops you outside that circle of comfort and say, now do what you will. That helps you grow and discover yourself. For these characters, I didn’t have a reference point to go on, or check another role like this that has been done earlier. This helps in you making a character that’s totally original and completely you!
Do you feel it is harder to portray a character that has dark shades compared to the earlier roles you have done?
My character in Kaminey is not completely a “dark” character. Charlie, the character that I play, although he is a Kamina, he is a negative guy, he does bad things, but still, somewhere he still needs to be loved. Because deep inside he had a clean heart.
What is your favorite scene in the film?
During research for the film I met up with some stammering clubs in Bandra and interacted with them extensively. There is a scene in the film where my character Guddu recounts what happened to him in school as a kid. That story is taken from a person who told us what had happened to him in his own life when he was in school. It’s a very moving story and it really touched our hearts. Its my favourite scene in the film.
The Kaminey soundtrack has received rave reviews. What are some of your favorite tracks from the soundtrack?
My favourite song by far is ‘Dhan Te Nan’. I loved the song the very first time I heard it. The very first time I heard this song I was blown away by its sheer energy! And now its playing across the globe and rising the charts even in non-hindi music playing places…makes me feel great!
The audience at large and especially your fans have given a great response to the first look of Dil Bole Haddipa. Can you tell us a bit about the film and your role?
I will talk to you about that film soon. Right now it’s Kaminey that is taking all my time and efforts! All I can say is that Hadippa has me playing a completely different role from Kaminey!
How was it working with Yash Raj Films for the very first time and Rani Mukherji with whom you’ll be seen for the first time too?
Yash Raj Films is a great banner to work with, Adi is one of the most respected producers that we have seen today. I am very proud to be working with them.
Rani is a great co-star and an amazing actor. I had a lot of fun shooting Dil Bole Hadippa with them.
If you’d have to pick a favorite role from all your films till date which one would it be and why?
It would have to be my roles in Kaminey. These are characters that are very, very unique.
What are some things that you look for in a script and role when deciding whether or not to accept the project?
For me, the most important and the deciding part while choosing the film is the script. If the script is good I will go ahead and sign it no matter if it’s a new cast or new director. In our industry we can find the best of directors, actors, music directors, singers etc, but what we lack in are scripts. A good script is very difficult to come by and so if I find a good script I don’t leave it!
Do you think you’d ever like to go behind the camera as a director?
I believe I have another 15 years to face the camera. I am just 28 years old!
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
I hope to be able to make a body of work that has all kinds of cinema attempted by me.
What are some of your upcoming projects?
I have Dil Bole Hadippa releasing on September 18th, followed by Ken’s untitled film with me and Genelia releasing in December, then I am currently shooting for Yash Raj Film’s next opposite Anushka Sharma. I have a 40-minute role in Paathshala, that’s my dear friend Ahmad’s film…that should release anytime now too… Then I start my dad’s film in December…So that’s what my slate looks like so far…
A message to your many fans?
All the hard-work that I put in is for you guys…so do stay in touch and tell me what you think! I love you guys.
Fans are excited to see the new avatars that he dons in Kaminey and cannot wait for August 14th for the film to open. We would like to thank Shahid for taking the time to answer our questions and wish the best of luck for Kaminey and for his upcoming projects! We know we will be first in line to see all his new performances!
