As most creative talents in show business will admit, there’s no time like the present when actors and content creators can float between mediums with absolute ease and conviction. Like many other actors from the talented stock, Shahid Kapoor, too, decided to foray into the digital medium. Soon after the success of Kabir Singh (2019), he gave his nod to Raj & DK’s (Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK) show, while he was working on the Bollywood remake of the Telugu hit, Jersey.

Talking about what led him to make that decision, Shahid told BT, “Look, the challenge is not the only reason you make a decision. A career is driven by many factors, and the decision-maker is the only one who knows why he is making a choice. He’s in the best place to do that. Hence, he must take the onus for whatever happens — good or bad. That is what I have learned in life. I hear everyone and do what I feel, and not what I always want. As an actor, you should try and do what you strongly feel about. I wanted to try another format of content, hold on to a character for eight-nine episodes. I have done films for 18-19 years now, and the one thing that can happen which I am afraid of, is that I will get bored and start doing it like an everyday job. I like something that is different from what I usually do. I love Kay Kay Menon and Manoj Bajpayee in their web shows — they’re breaking new ground and trying different things. It’s so hypocritical to discriminate between what you do and what you like to watch, especially for an actor.”

Shahid is currently prepping for the Hindi remake of the French film, which is dubbed as Sleepless Night in English. It will be helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar. “I am in the middle of the prep. It is a tough role, and Ali has his take on the story, which is good,” says Shahid, adding, “I am having fun, but it’s also quite an edgy piece to work on.”

Shahid says, “Every role becomes challenging when you get in the depth of it. It’s difficult to explain an actor’s journey with a role. You realise it when you get there, and that is what is exciting for me. I have tasted that in a few films that came my way. The opportunities I got required me to push myself harder and after that, it was like tasting blood. I sometimes want to punish myself for choosing a tough role. But when I am somewhat unsure, I chase things even harder. Of course, I also want to try something that’s a little chilled out, but will it excite me? I don’t know! Being on your toes and trying to cope with what’s in front of you is a good place to be in.”

While talking about exploring challenging spaces, one can’t help but recall that Shahid was expected to headline and produce the biopic on boxer Dingko Singh, who passed away recently. The said biopic was expected to be directed by Raja Krishna Menon, who has previously helmed films like Chefand Airlift. Shahid was supposed to play the title role of the boxing legend, but plans were put on a backburner post the release of Kabir Singh in 2019. The director, in a previous chat with BT, had even expressed how much it would have mattered to make and release the biopic on the pugilist who inspired an entire generation of boxers while he was still alive.

On broaching the subject, Shahid says, “The film on Dingko Singh is not on the cards right now. It was a very challenging role, but when the pandemic struck, I didn’t have the opportunity to train in boxing. The film required a lot of dedication and time to undergo intense training. Also, the film wasn’t entirely developed, in fact, it was at a nascent stage at that time.”