With Jersey, Shahid Kapoor will be back on the big screen over two years after his last release, Kabir Singh (2019). While the actor is looking forward to the audience’s reaction to the drama, he has got wife Mira’s nod of approval. He has often stated that his wife is his harshest critic. “Sometimes, she just comes back home [after a screening] and says, ‘Don’t waste too much time on this film. Move on quickly,’” laughs Kapoor.

Director Gowtam Tinnanuri’s film, which sees the actor as a defeated man who revives his love for cricket, however, has left a lasting impression on Mira. Kapoor says, “When she saw Jersey, she hugged me and cried for 15 minutes. I think she was overwhelmed because I was playing a father in the film. To me, Jersey is the story of every married [person] in this country — all of us have dreams in our 20s. When you go on to have responsibilities and children, you sometimes give up on your passion and do the practical thing. After watching the film, Mira understood a lot about me as a person; she could understand my struggles. She connected with the film deeply.” 

To Kapoor, Mira is his sounding board as well as an honest critic. He points out that he values her opinion as she responds emotionally to stories. “I remember seeing Udta Punjab [2016] with her. It had barely been a year since we were married. By the time it was interval, there was a six-foot distance between us. She said, ‘I am scared of you right now. Are you like Tommy?’ She has an [honest] reaction to every film.”