Shahid Kapoor on paternity leave: Taking only a week off from work

Looking forward to turning dad a second time, Shahid Kapoor on paternity leave, and striking a balance between films and family

Currently dividing his time between the promotional blitzkrieg of Batti Gul Meter Chalu and prep for the Arjun Reddy remake, Shahid Kapoor will dive headlong into the shoot of the Hindi adaptation next month. Frenetic as the pace may be, he doesn't mind it. The doting husband is trying to wrap up his professional commitments before he takes paternity leave in October to welcome his second child with wife Mira.

Kapoor tells mid-day that his back-to-back projects won't afford him the luxury of taking a longer break. "During Misha's birth [in 2016], I took a couple of months off. This time too, I was negotiating to take a month-long break, but things didn't work out. I will get only a week off from work. It is too short a duration, but such are the circumstances," says the actor, who hasn't let his hectic schedule deter him from pampering the to-be-mom. In the past few months, the two have often been spotted enjoying lunch and dinner dates.

Shahid Kapoor with wife Mira. Pic/Shadab Khan

While he emphasises the need for paternity leave across different fields of work, he points out that actors are a fortunate lot in that regard. "I am self-employed, so I think I have more freedom [to take leaves as per my convenience]. If I don't want to work for a certain period, I can do that. Having said that, life is all about finding the right balance."

The imminent diaper duties and sleepless nights will be a refreshing change of pace for him, he says. Admitting to being a workaholic, Kapoor reflects that he slowed down only after Mira and daughter Misha came into his life. "I have been working since I was 15. My mother [Neelima Azim] was a single parent and I was the eldest kid. So, my thought process was that I had to earn money. But over time, I have also realised that it's important to enjoy life. You have to be honest to your work, and at the same time, meet the needs of your family. That's why, now, I do only one film at a time."

Also read: Shahid Kapoor: Fatherhood has made me less self-oriented

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