Shahid Kapoor on reinterpreting Vijay Deverakonda's alcoholic act for Kabir Singh, Hindi adaptation of Arjun Reddy
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 26, 2019)

Rejuvenated after his London holiday, Shahid Kapoor is ready to kick off promotions for Kabir Singh. He is aware of the expectations resting on his shoulders - Arjun Reddy (2017), the source material of his next, was not only a smashing success, but also catapulted leading man Vijay Deverakonda to stardom in the Telugu circuit.

"Vijay Deverakonda was spectacular in the film. If you ask me, Kabir Singh and Arjun Reddy are cousins; they are not the same person," analyses Kapoor. While he understands that comparisons are inevitable, the actor says that the makers have added their own touch to the story. "We have tried to do something different because it's important to rediscover the journey of the character. We shifted the milieu to Delhi and Mumbai; so, by extension, his family and upbringing has changed. But we have retained the fundamental energy of the character."

The drama, directed by Sandeep Vanga, sees Kapoor play a medical student who becomes an alcoholic after his lover marries someone else. While he has had to shed kilos for his college boy act, the actor says understanding the psyche of the protagonist proved to be a bigger challenge. "We are trying to make it raw. The role required latent rage as the protagonist is full of angst. It wasn't easy to internalise that rage."

Even before the film hits screens on June 21, his efforts have borne fruit. Baahubali star Prabhas congratulated him after the teaser dropped online. "We share a hairstylist, Aalim [Hakim]. They were talking about the teaser, and the next thing you know, he called to congratulate me. The 10-minute chat left me overwhelmed."