In an exclusive chat during Pinkvilla Masterclass, Shahid Kapoor opened up about doing Vishal Bhardwaj’s 2014 film Haider for free
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Shahid Kapoor spoke about doing Vishal Bhardwaj’s 2014 film Haider
- He talked about how Bhardwaj ended up convincing him to do the film for free
Shahid Kapoor started his career in the early 2000s and has since established himself as one of the most successful actors in Bollywood. One of the most iconic and acclaimed performances has to be in Vishal Bhardwaj’s 2014 drama film Haider.
Shahid Kapoor talks about doing Haider for no money
At a recently held Pinkvilla Masterclass, Shahid Kapoor spoke about Haider. He said that it’s “the most complex” and “challenging” character he has ever played. He said: “Every actor who has played Hamlet (on which Haider was based) has said that they never felt like they were able to completely understand the character or completely express everything that the character went through. So I was again one of those people.” The actor said that if given a chance again, he would put out a lot more this time around.
Kapoor then revealed that it’s the only film he has done for free and recalled his conversation with Vishal Bhardwaj. “They told me that they wanna make this movie and we need five months of your life and we want you to shave your head and go bald but we can’t pay you. So I said ‘and what makes you think I’ll do it?’ and Vishal sir looked at me and said, ‘coz its Hamlet and I’m making it”, he explained. The actor then agreed to do the film realizing that they could not afford to make the film if it was loaded with his fee.
Shahid Kapoor’s work front
Workwise, Shahid was last seen in Ali Abbas Zafar’s action crime thriller Bloody Daddy. The film was a remake of the 2011 French film Sleepless Night and it met with mostly positive critical response. He also made his foray into the digital space this year with Raj and DK’s crime web series Farzi which turned out to be the most-watched Indian web series. He will be next seen alongside Kriti Sanon in a yet-to-be-titled romantic film. Produced by Dinesh Vijan under the banner of Maddock Films and Jio Studios, the film is slated to release on Valentine’s Day 2024.
