Arjun Kapoor reveals he was offered Kabir Singh and why he said no!

29 September,2019 07:49 AM IST |  Mumbai  |  mid-day online correspondent

Before Shahid Kapoor, it was Arjun Kapoor who was offered Kabir Singh, the actor reveals why he turned down the part.

Picture Courtesy: Arjun Kapoor/Official Instagram Account and Shahid Kapoor/Mid-day


There's nothing bigger than destiny, especially in the Hindi film industry, driven by luck by chance. There have been hundreds of examples where one actor's loss has turned out to be someone else's gain. The recent one is Arjun Kapoor, whose loss turned out to be Shahid Kapoor's gain. How? Well, speaking at the India Today Conclave, the actor spilled the beans on being offered this year's biggest blockbuster, Kabir Singh, before the other Kapoor came on board.

He also revealed what compelled him to turn the film down that turned the fortune of Shahid. Speaking about it, the actor said, "It did not reach that stage where I could choose or not. When the rights were being acquired by (producers) Ashwin (Varde) and Murad (Khetani), who made Mubarakan, they acquired keeping me in mind. Sandeep Vanga, the director had met Shahid and he had seen the film before and they decided to do the film together."

He added, "The film needed Sandeep Vanga. There is a madness to that film, there is inherent energy. It is a simple story but there was madness to the treatment. He (Sandeep) had already committed and he wanted to stick by his words and I respect that. I did not want my producers sitting around with the rights of the film and not making it out of me being in an ego tussle with anybody. Sandeep is the director of the film and he had a clearer vision of the film and without him, the film wouldn't have been what it is now."

He continued, "Fundamentally, films chose actors and directors but in this case, the intent was right from our side and we couldn't combine it. It doesn't mean I left it or I did not choose it. It is complicated. There are human emotions and decisions and a lot of things come into the picture. The director wanted somebody else because he had committed it to someone. It was not that he said, 'you can't do it'. My impulse stays right as I selected the right material but then you move on in life."

The film was slammed mercilessly for the way it portrayed Hindi film romance on the celluloid, with blatant criticism for toxic masculinity and misogyny. But that could not hamper its commercial prospects and the audiences revelled in watching Shahid Kapoor immersing himself into this volatile and unpredictably violent medical student. We are only four months away from bidding adieu to 2019 and eagerly waiting to witness which film finally surpasses its lifetime collections of over Rs 278 crore.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
arjun kapoor shahid kapoor Kabir Singh Entertainment News bollywood news
Related Stories