Shahid Kapoor's evolution from being a chocolate boy to a powerpack performer with some really hard-hitting films - is so commendable. First of all, can you believe he made his debut in 2003 which and it's been 19 years for him in the industry. In this 19-year old journey, the actor has had many hits and misses, yet, one thing is for sure - with his body of work and appreciation from people, he's certainly one of the best actors Hindi cinema has today. Today as Shahid celebrates his birthday, I pick out 5 films and characters of the actor which I've absolutely loved!
Rajiv in Ishq Vishk
It's been 19 years but none of the Shahid fangirls have forgotten Rajiv. From dancing to portrayal of emotions and actually being relatable to so many teenage college boys, apart from literally stealing hearts of every girl who saw it - Shahid aced it and how! You saw him and you knew that he was here to stay.
Prem in Vivah
The quintessential Prem of Sooraj Barjatya - enough said! Who can't like him? Vivah continues to be watched repeatedly in several households and here's a boy who not made young girls fall for him, but even their parents. So subtle, so under-stated and emoting through the eyes. While it may seem like some characters or films are a piece of cake, I truly believe that to get the emotional quotient right and make people connect without actually overdoing it - is a skill which I think he got on point. I still love his chemistry with Amrita Rao in the film and just overall, it continues to remain a favourite of so many.
Aditya in Jab We Met
So, Jab We Met had more to do Geet but I feel that if Aditya's part was not played so well, even Geet wouldn't have made an impact. Shahid was so good as Aditya and got that perfect tone in the portrayal of a brooding man, someone who's suffering from a heartbreak and memories of the past to eventually becoming a confident, happy man who knew how to love unconditionally. Aditya was and is goals when it comes to being a friend and a lover. It's definitely one of Shahid's most memorable characters.
Charlie/Guddu in Kaminey
From playing the above mentioned characters to taking a drastic turn and becoming Charlie and Guddu for Kaminey was so noteworthy. Shahid played such starkly different characters in the same film and with so much conviction that you'd actually feel they are two different people and not the same person playing them both.
Tommy Singh in Udta Punjab
Firstly choosing to do a film and character like this, to actually acing it - Kapoor knows how to melt hearts and also be hard-hitting. From his look to the detailing of his character, he played Tommy perfectly right from the the word go in this Abhishek Chaubey film.
Haider in Haider
This is by far his best work. When I saw Haider, it just went in so deep and hit so hard that I couldn't get that film out of my system for about a week. I don't know how the actor managed to get the complexities of the character so right, but he did and this level of skillset or craft could perhaps be spoken about every time we speak of good actors in Hindi cinema. Of course, who can also deny Vishal Bhardwaj's magic and the presence of other marvel actors like Tabu, Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon.
Kabir Singh
Commercially, this has been the biggest hit of his with the kind of box-office numbers it did. I think the film became a talking point - for good things and some bits of criticism. But that itself means, he pulled off his part in such a way that it seemed so real and worth discussing. It takes a while for us to sink in the fact that it's the same guy who played Prem in Vivah who is now Kabir. Kudos to Shahid for this performance.
While the above mentioned are some of his notable characters, I'd also like to take a moment to say that Shahid has had such wonderful songs in his career. His dancing skills may require a different article to speak about though - but those skills teamed up with such good music has given us some really memorable songs to cherish for years to come. I'm looking forward to Jersey now which is set to release on April 14.
Here's wishing you a very happy birthday Shahid and may you continue to entertain us for years to come!
