“The beard took time to grow!” Shahid Kapoor jokes with a wink, addressing his transformation from the quintessential Bollywood lover boy into an actor whose intensity on screen can hardly be overlooked. Now with a big leap into unconventional storytelling through the OTT series Farzi, Shahid is gearing up to redefine romance yet again. This time, he steps into a sci-fi romantic flick, Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya (TBMAUJ), where the charisma of his character is coupled with an artificial intelligence twist, as he romances a humanoid, portrayed by Kriti Sanon.
The journey for Kapoor has been no less than a rollercoaster ride laced with challenges and moments of self-discovery. “I have been working for two decades,” he remarks, reflecting on his evolution in the industry. “There was always this desire to break free from the molds people so eagerly set for me.” Indeed, the early years of his career seemed to cast him in a certain light, and it was a constant struggle to shift the industry’s perception. “It took a lot of convincing to make people look beyond my face. It wasn’t just about changing my physique but also about touching the myriad stories that I wanted to be a part of.”
Shahid considers the pivotal moment in his career to be the shift away from films that leaned heavily on archetypal roles and entering into spaces that demanded a variety of characters. “Films like Kaminey, Haider, and Udta Punjab allowed me to discover those different spaces,” he says. The alteration wasn’t limited to his acting skills alone; Kapoor put a significant effort into metamorphosing his physical appearance, acquiring a more mature and rugged look to match his evolving on-screen personas.
For Kapoor, it’s been about demonstrating the vitality of versatility. “An actor’s chops are what sustain them across the varying tides of popularity,” he asserts. His efforts have not been in vain as roles with diverse narrative textures began to find their way to him. “Once you’ve shown the ability to diversify, a stream of diverse characters starts coming your way.”
Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya is yet another endeavor by Shahid to offer audiences something different. It’s a film that, while being an entertainer, doesn’t shy away from showcasing a sensible perspective on a sci-fi trope. Kapoor elaborates, “It’s a slice-of-life story but projected a decade or two into the future; it’s about the surprises life throws at you.”
Despite being fantastical, Kapoor adds that the believability of such a concept hinges on the “cinematic magic.” He explains, “It’s less about logical reasoning and more about the emotional resonance.” His approach to his craft is an intermingling of instinct and introspection, making sure he is not just repeating roles but reinventing them.
As for romance, Shahid, married for eight years and a father, is both philosophical and candid. “Love is a constant evolution, especially as one navigates through its differing stages within a relationship and family,” he shares.
TBMAUJ is set against a unique backdrop where Kapoor’s character enters uncharted emotional territory through his interactions with a humanoid. The film is not just poised to entertain but also to raise intriguing questions about the future of human connections.
Finally, Shahid Kapoor’s TBMAUJ promises to grip audiences when it hits theaters on February 9th, marking yet another chapter in the evolution of a star who’s as dedicated to his art as he is to exploring the multifaceted nature of love, life, and the cinematic form.
