Even as he has long been tagged as a filmmaker’s actor, Shahid Kapoor has built a career on restless choices, switching between mainstream romance and riskier narratives. In this conversation, he reflects on his journey in Bollywood, the choices he makes, and what it feels like to be back again with Vishal Bhardwaj in O’ Romeo.
After intense, darker narratives, you return to the romantic space. You’ve been shooting for Cocktail 2, which also marks your first collaboration with Homi Adajania.
Homi is absolutely great to work with, and I’m thoroughly enjoying my time with him. I haven’t done a film of this nature in a while. I think Homi did a good job with the Cocktail. I understand his sense of humour and his perspective on people—the way he handles their imperfections. I think the lens that he brings to this story will be a very fresh experience for people, but with the same love triangle. I enjoyed the script; the dialogues have been written by Luv Ranjan, bearing his signature style… which is commercial and entertaining. Of course, I am working with two wonderful co-stars, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna.
You’ve also completed O’ Romeo with Vishal Bhardwaj—your fourth collaboration. What defines the creative synergy between the two of you?
There is some X factor that we share. Whenever we come together, I feel we bring out the best in each other, and that he’s fundamental in my career graph, bringing out certain aspects of me which I wasn’t aware existed. Once you open up on certain aspects of your performance, you realise that you are capable of exploring those spaces, and it contributes to your repertoire as an actor. Over the last decade, Vishal and I have grown as people. I do feel that O’ Romeo is a very special film. The world Vishal creates is always very fresh. So I’m hoping that we can give the audience a cinematic entertainer, which comes rarely these days.
There seems to be a disconnect between the industry and the audience. As someone selective about his work, what’s been your observation?
I always fall back on quality, and I feel that if you do qualitative work, it will sometimes be niche, and sometimes it will encompass a broader aspect of it. For me, it’s always been about pushing cinema forward. To play characters, tell stories that entertain. Of course, it’s a two-way relationship. You listen to the audience and understand where they are coming from. Understand when they are not happy with the product, and why. What’s making them feel let down? But these days the way it is… It’s almost like either a film does small numbers or extremely big numbers. So I think it’s a time we should all stay humble, put our heads down, and remember that we’re just like any other person trying to do something, and wanting the love of the audience.
You starred in Teri Baaton Mein Uljha Jiya, a love story with a robot at its centre. Recently, AI-generated actor Tilly Norwood sparked backlash. What do you think about it?
When we did Teri Baaton Mein Uljha Jiya, people were sceptical about how it would be received. We all felt that people don’t realise how close AI is and how fast things are catching up. I don’t think it’s just the future, because it’s almost upon us now. We can’t run away from it. I do feel that in the next five to 10 years, the world will change beyond what we can imagine. So it’s just a matter of time, and we’ll have to learn to adapt and take responsible decisions.
At this stage, what’s most important to you—reinvention, longevity, or bigger creative risks?
They are all important. I want all of that. I think reinvention is something that is always the most exciting aspect of what you do. It might not be something that you can do all the time, because eventually an actor can only feed off the script. So I have to get an opportunity where I can do something without forcing it upon the subject of the film. Longevity, I think, is important to all of us, and everybody who gets to their 40s understands that. As for creative risks, if you feel safe about what you’re doing, you’re probably repeating yourself. If you are feeling unsure, if you’re feeling like you don’t know how it’s going to turn out, you’re definitely being original, and that means you’re doing something new.
What are you most looking forward to in 2026?
I have two releases coming up this year, so that’s a big one. I don’t think there’s anything that I’m waiting to do in 2026. If there’s something that I can think of today, I do it today. Hopefully, we’ll make some substantial movies and express ourselves in ways that are original. We won’t look like we’re trying to copy somebody, and we’ll find some good stories and characters.