Shahid Kapoor lashes out at the anti arranged-marriage army for trolling, and calling him regressive on the web
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 6, 2017)

He may have been slammed for propagating arranged marriage and cracking jokes about his 14-year-age difference with wife Mira on Karan Johar’s chat show, but Shahid Kapoor is far from being ruffled. “A mainstream star having an arranged marriage is unique. It is not everyday that a Hindi film hero goes and marries someone no one even knows of. I am an actor. Most parts of my life are up for discussion, by default. It won’t stop whether I like it or not. If people cross the line, we do get displeased. But the line itself is wide. We can’t be touchy and say, bhai mere baare mein koi baat nahin karega,” Shahid says coolly.

The Udta Punjab star defends his wife saying she has a mind of her own and cannot be undermined. “Mira seems pretty chilled out about what’s written. My wife decides what she wants to do, where she wants to go, how she wants to go and who is allowed in the house. It is natural. In fact, that’s how it should be,” he adds.

Shahid moves on to talk about Rangoon, his third collaboration with Vishal Bhardwaj after Kaminey (2009) and Haider (2014). Right after Kaminey released, the filmmaker had remarked that Shahid would be a better actor if he cared less about his looks. Today, as Rangoon’s trailer is unveiled, the actor says he still fusses over looks. “In my last 10 films, I have not looked the same in any two movies,” he proudly claims. Did they agree to disagree? “Perspectives change. For Haider, I shaved off my hair just for a four-hour shoot (laughs). Actors used to think of themselves differently. But he (Bhardwaj), more than anybody else, has the right to change the way I look. He is the man who has taught me how to reinvent myself. Now, the thrill to look different is becoming my worst habit,” he sheepishly admits.

Shahid says Bhardwaj was the reason, more than Rangoon’s “enticing” script, for him to hop on board: “This one is diametrically different from the last two films we did. This is an ensemble, much like Haider. Kangana (Ranaut) and Saif (Ali Khan) are playing fundamental characters. With Vishal sir’s stories, there aren’t ranks and hierarchies. He wants three great actors to participate in the milieu he has envisioned and rediscover our potential as artistes.”