The actor, whose latest flick Batti Gul Meter Chalu has just hit theatres is unable to contain his excitement on the arrival of his baby boy
With son Zain’s birth this month and daughter Misha growing up fast, actor Shahid Kapoor, whose latest flick Batti Gul Meter Chalu has just hit theatres is unable to contain his excitement. Would his family now influence his choice of films? “Yes, hundred per cent!” said Shahid.
The actor told My Nation, “I think I do better as a dad than as an actor on most occasions. I think as an actor there are many things which I still need to learn. As a dad, I can say that I have met very few people who are so into their child. I feel I am really into it and at times I need to be told to calm down. I would always want to be the best as a parent. I think that’s a much larger responsibility.” Shahid added, “Acting is a selfish kind of joy of mine. But being a parent is a very selfless thing to do.”
Is he a better father or a better husband? The actor smiled and paused for a while before answering this. Then he politely answered, “I don’t think I can comment on that, you should ask my wife. I think I am decent at both.”
Batti Gul Meter Chalu released on Friday and deals with the problem of inflated electricity bills. Though Shahid claims he didn't ‘suffer' the power cuts in his childhood but used it as an opportunity to play with his friends. Recalling his Delhi days as a child, the actor said, “Delhi has big localities where if the light goes off, kids come down and play hide-n-seek or just run to the ice cream seller because his ice cream starts melting so that they can buy it at a discounted rate. We used to do that!”
In the movie, Shahid plays a lawyer in the film. Talking about his character, Sushil aka S.K, the 37-year-old actor said, “This is a very different kind of character for me. Usually, as an actor, you think about the things that people would like. Maybe they like my smile, the way I talk, how I carry my clothes or how nicely I treat a woman. These are the things that are usually related to Hindi film heroes. This character is all opposite of that. He is not very articulate, he is rough around the edges and his language is very raw and imperfect. I would say, his language is not attractive and he is not charming. I have not tried to add any heroic elements to the character and have tried to play it as honestly as possible.”
However, the actor believes, this is not a character which many will like. He explained, “I honestly don’t know whether people will like my character in the film or not. Over the time I have realised that I have dropped all my guards as an actor and I don’t try to play safe. I feel very scared before every film of mine comes out because I don’t play safe. Also, I don’t have starry considerations in my head while interpreting a character. That’s something which I have stopped doing. I don’t know whether it is good or bad for me. I just try to bring the person (in the character I am playing) to life.”
When asked what challenges him as an actor, Shahid replied, “I am very afraid of what people will think about what I have done. When I am on a film set, I try to do what I feel is right for the role but later on, I start stressing and worrying about whether people will like my work or not. That’s a big fear that I have.”
Shahid has earlier worked with Shraddha Kapoor in the 2014 movie ‘Haider’. Sharing his experience of reuniting with the actress on-screen after four years, Shahid said, “I have kind of seen her start, I have known her for a while. Now she has worked for enough time and I no longer look at her as a newcomer, she is now a contemporary. We had a lot of fun during the shoot. She is a really good actor.”
Batti Gul Meter Chalu, which also stars Shraddha Kapoor, Yami Gautam and Divyendu Sharma in key roles, has been directed by Shree Narayan Singh. The director’s previous release Toilet: Ek Prem Katha was widely loved and went on to become a super hit at the box office. Will Shahid’s film enjoy a similar fate?
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