When Shahid Kapoor struggled to find work even after his debut film Ishq Vishk was a hit

Shahid Kapoor's debut film Ishq Vishk was a hit. Why was he still told he wouldn't find work in Bollywood?

Shahid Kapoor tasted success with his very first film, Ishq Vishk, which was a college romance with song-and-dance and a fresh bunch of actors. Thanks to his 'chocolate boy' looks and dancing skills, Shahid won over a considerable female fan following. But film offers right after the success of Ishq Vishk weren't very forthcoming, because producers couldn't always find a role suitable for his age. 

Talking to mid-day some time ago during our Sit With Hitlist episode, Shahid talked about the issues he faced trying to find a job after Ishq Vishk. "There was no work for my age bracket. I look too young. So, I debut in a college film," he said.

Narrating the kind of conversations he had with producers at the time, he said, "A lot of times they were like teri picture toh chal gayi hai but tujhe kis heroine ke saath cast karein. And then they would name three four big stars and say yeh sab toh tujhse … tu bachcha lagega inke saamne, tere andar mardaangi nahi aai hai abhi... How will you look like... because mass chahiye, massy hero chahiye. Woh toh tha nahi mere andar mass ka M bhi nahi tha. So, you know, all that did happen at that time. I did have to choose from whatever people were ready to offer me even though I was a successful actor because the kind of content that had been written at that time was made for the older actors. I think Hrithik came in 3 years before me, and then Vivek (Oberoi) happened."

He continued, "'Tera toh chance hi nahi hai, tera toh hone hi nahi wala hai kuch.' So, I used to listen to all that and then go to producer and they used to say no we cannot cast anybody opposite you and all. So, good five-six years was all that. So, you chose from whatever, not chose, but just jumped at whatever came your way till things changed. I tell Ishaan (Khatter), man, you have no idea this is so much easier a time because there is so much young talent and there is so much diversity of the kind of films that get made, everything is not boxed into yehi chalta hai anymore."

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