'Never set out to coach people in behaviour'

Gearing up for Jersey’s release, Shahid on life post Kabir Singh and how he doesn’t justify his problematic parts

There are certain characters that speak to you in a way others rarely can. When Jersey came Shahid Kapoor’s way, the central character of Arjun — a defeated man who revives his love for cricket, at the behest of his son — left a lasting impression on him. He says that the protagonist’s quiet passion drew him in. “I could relate to him strongly. In him, I got the right vessel to [pour] my emotions into. I have felt that success, big love [from the audience] and a wide-reaching film have come to me after years of waiting. We all have fire [in our belly]. There are certain people whose fire is dampened over time, and then, there are those whose fire keeps burning. I fall in that category, as does Arjun.”

A still from Jersey

A remake of Gowtam Tinnanuri’s 2019 Telugu film of the same name, Jersey sees Kapoor sharing screen space with actor-father Pankaj Kapur. Holding your own in front of the veteran actor is no mean feat. “It’s scary as hell to share a frame with him,” smiles Kapoor, before narrating an incident. “After a scene, Gowtam walked up to dad and told him it’s a good shot, [but looked despondent]. I asked Gowtam if everything was okay, and he said, ‘Your dad is a great actor, but my story is about your character. So, if you don’t do well, the audience will only be looking at him.’ I told him that I will try my best,” he laughs. 

Kapoor’s last release Kabir Singh (2019), though a runaway success, wasn’t without its share of problems. There was much debate about the film’s glorification of toxic masculinity. In the past few years, there has been an increased awareness among artistes on the messaging of films. Has it made him scrutinise his roles harder? “My concern is with the lack of authenticity or unfounded behaviour [in a character]. I never set out to coach people in societal behaviour. An actor’s role is to honestly represent life. I never try to justify my characters because I have played [parts] that are problematic or troubled. But cinema is a reflection of life. We are merely saying that these things happen. Whether it’s right or wrong, you decide. I think the junta gets it; the over-intellectual minds tend to chew on things a bit too much.”

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