‘It takes a lot more work trying to understand how an alcoholic behaves or feels’, says Shahid Kapoor on doing roles like Kabir Singh

By Vandana Srivastawa

on August 03, 2019

In a career spanning fifteen years, Shahid Kapoor has come a long way. From playing the guy-next-door to taking up challenging roles in Kaminey, Haider, Udta Punjab and the recent Kabir Singh the actor has impressed everyone. Kabir Singh has become the year’s highest grosser and Shahid’s most profitable film of his career. However, essaying the role of an alcoholic and a drug abuser in films like Udta Punjab and Kabir Singh is a tad difficult for the actor who is a teetotaler in real life.

In a recent interview with an entertainment website, the actor opened about the challenges he faced while playing such characters. Talking about his role of Tommy Singh in Udta Punjab and in Kabir Singh, Shahid said, “I don't touch alcohol. People who do are comfortable having it for a scene. It's not something I'd like to try. That's why such roles (Kabir Singh and Udta Punjab) are challenging for me as an actor. It takes a lot more work trying to understand how an alcoholic behaves or feels. I might have come across people like that. But that's an external experience. If you want to internalize it, then you need to connect with the emotions.”

When asked about what attracts him to such flawed characters, Shahid said, “Why have we loved Mr Bachchan playing 'an angry young man' down the years? Why is Devdas considered a classic? Why Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are considered the greatest actors in the world? Why is Maqbool one of the most memorable films of my father (Pankaj Kapur)? Why is Haider one of the greatest films in my career? Why is Vishal Bhardwaj considered one of the greatest filmmakers? Grey characters are exciting. Filmmaking is an art. The more complex the art form, the more commendable it becomes. Like in cricket, if the pitch is bad and yet someone plays well, then you appreciate that player all the more. When you see a performance, which is complex and demanding, you appreciate it more.”

Shahid’s Kabir Singh also stars Kiara Advani in the lead role and is directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga who had also helmed the original Telugu hit Arjun Reddy. The film has garnered a whopping Rs 275 crore at the box office till now and is looking forward to raking in more moolah.

(Source: Filmfare)