Shahid Kapoor has gone from being the quintessential boy-next-door in films such as Ishq Vishk (2003), Vivah (2006) and Jab We Met (2007) to playing complex characters in Haider (2014), Udta Punjab (2016), Padmaavat (2018) and Kabir Singh (2019). He will next be seen in Jersey, where he’ll play a man who gets a second chance at pursuing his dream.

Kapoor admits that his debut age, 23, was, is and always will be a game-changer.

He shares, “Ishq Vishk changed my life forever. It was everything. At that time, newcomers were not accepted, and I didn’t really think that I would get a shot. I randomly came upon these ads and music videos. They happened to me. People started recognizing me, so I started getting opportunities to do some auditions.”

The movie featured him alongside actors Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasury. “Films were only made with established actors or star kids [back then]. Random newcomers were never given a shot. But there was this crazy director, Ken Ghosh, who wanted to make a fun film full of newcomers, and I bagged it. That’s how it started,” he adds.

Is he still the same Shahid Kapoor as he was at 23? “Not at all! I’ve changed tremendously. I can’t even relate to that part,” he says.

Kapoor continues, “I don’t know why [I can’t relate]. Maybe, because the beauty of life is to keep changing and evolving. You should never forget your roots, but then it also doesn’t mean you refuse to grow. You have to grow. That is a part of life.”