Shahid Kapoor, who turns 39 today, wishes to connect to his inner self, remain ‘a student for life’ and stay ‘good and pure’ in the coming year
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 25, 2020)

A successful actor, a loving husband and a doting father, Shahid Kapoor has balanced his personal and professional life pretty well in all the years that he has been working in films. His last year’s release, Kabir Singh, created a stir at the box office and right now, he’s shooting for his next, Jersey (Hindi remake of the 2019 Telugu film by the same name), a sports drama in which he essays the role of a cricketer for the first time. As Shahid turns 39 today, he stresses that this year, he wants to connect to his inner self, remain “a student for life” and “stay good and pure”. He plans to celebrate the day working on the sets of the film, surrounded by colleagues and family. Excerpts from an interview:

So, it’s a working birthday for you this year. Any special plans?
I’m celebrating my birthday in Chandigarh, as we’re shooting here. I might get a little time off once my family is here and I’ll be spending some time with them. It’s a working birthday as I’m in the middle of the schedule and didn’t want to take a break.

Is there any professional or personal goal that you want to fulfil as you step into a new year?
Being grounded is very important. Success and failure come and go, but family is priority for me. To sustain a long career, you need to stick to the basics and stay connected with yourself as a human being. I feel very fortunate that I have two kids (Misha and Zain) and my wife (Mira Rajput) by my side. I’m happy that we’re always there for each other.

Walking down memory lane, what are some of your fondest birthday memories you can recall?
I have memories from my birthdays during childhood that include some bad behaviour on my part. I was quite into gifts. I’d grab gifts from the guests and run away. My mum would get very embarrassed. She’d call me back and ask me to thank them and behave well. But, I was very greedy for gifts. That’s something I remember and I hope I can teach my kids to not be like that (laughs).

Last year was a game-changer for you. With Jersey releasing this year, is it already looking exciting?
What happened with Kabir Singh is something that made us all extremely happy. It was a great year. Eventually, an actor understands that nothing matters more than the love and connection you have with the audience. They gave Kabir Singh much more than what any of us had expected. I’m very grateful and thankful for that. I don’t want to assume that everything I do will be the same. But, the only thing I want to do is to give my audience a really good film. When I saw Jersey, it moved me emotionally. I felt that the message that the film gave, was very inspiring. Also, it’s a very sensitive film about the victory of human spirit. I wanted to take the story forward and share it with a wider audience. I enjoy giving people something new and fresh each time. I don’t believe in formulas, and today, audiences want to see different things. My upcoming film will have its own unique energy and a very different character to offer the audience.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 22, 2018)

When Shahid Kapoor finished the shoot of Batti Gul Meter Chalu yesterday, a day before schedule, the unit assumed he would head to Mumbai, in time for the Padmaavat success bash on Saturday. Much to everyone’s surprise, he flew off to Delhi to join wife Mira and daughter Misha, who have been stationed there for almost a week.

A source close to the actor says, “It was planned weeks in advance that Shahid would celebrate his birthday (February 25) by attending a satsang in Beas, with his family. But when he was invited for the Padmaavat party earlier this week, everyone assumed he would attend the bash and head out to Beas the next morning.”

His no-show at the bash that will see the entire team including Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is bound to fuel speculations about all not being well between him and Singh.

However, another source insists that it is just a case of bad timing. The insider adds, “Shahid isn’t one to compromise on his family time. He wants a no-frills birthday with his close ones around him and that’s why is heading to the satsang by the Radha Soami sect. He flies off to Amritsar tomorrow and will stay in Beas for a few days, before resuming his shoot.” The actor’s spokesperson confirmed that he’ll be missing from the do.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 16, 2018)

Shahid Kapoor, who kicked off the first schedule of Shree Narayan Singh’s Batti Gul Meter Chalu on Wednesday in Uttarakhand, is taking a short break from the shoot for his upcoming birthday.

The actor, who turns 37 on February 25, will be celebrating the day by attending a satsang in Beas, the river-town near Amritsar, with wife Mira Rajput, daughter Misha and parents-in-law, Vikramaditya and Bela. The satsang is by the Radha Soami sect, the spiritual group that introduced Shahid’s family to Mira’s.

Unlike last year, where the actor had hosted a star-studded sun-downer at his sea-facing residence, the birthday boy is keeping it low-key this year. “Shahid and Mira missed Valentine’s Day and the actor wanted to keep up with the annual tradition of celebrating birthdays with satsangs and a visit to Beas,” a source close to the couple told Mirror.

Shahid, who plays a lawyer in Batti Gul Meter Chalu, will resume shooting for the upcoming social comedy-drama, which also features Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam, in Uttarakhand a few days after the birthday. Meanwhile, pictures of Mira and Misha (top) at the Mumbai airport have led to rumours that the actor’s family was joining him on the film set. “It’s freezing in Uttarakhand at the moment and Mira and Misha are heading home to Delhi. Shahid will be flying to the Capital first, after which the family will travel to Beas together,” the source signed off.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 25, 2016)

For Shahid Kapoor, who tied the knot with Delhi girl Mira Rajput in July last year, his upcoming 35th birthday will be his first as a married man. And his missus has left no stone unturned in making sure that it's a special day for him.

Buzz is, Mira has been busy these last few weeks planning a surprise party for her hubby at home with only close friends and family in attendance. But while everyone else has been speculating about the menu and the guest list, Mirror has learnt that the couple have been taken off to an undisclosed destination, far away from the madding crowds and prying eyes, to bring in Shahid's b'day.

"They are in India, somewhere up North, because Shahid is in the middle of a hectic shoot for Vishal's (Bhardwaj) ambitious love story set against the backdrop of the Second World War, Rangoon. In fact, he flies off to Arunachal Pradesh, where the unit is moving next after a gruelling schedule in Mumbai, directly from the birthday break," informed a friend of the actor, unwilling to reveal any details.

The couple skipped their honeymoon because Shahid was busy with his work commitments but in August, took off for a vacation to London. They also brought in the New Year with a cosy break in Goa.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; February 26, 2014)

Shahid Kapoor knows how to create a buzz. While speculation was rife whether his current special friend, Sonakshi Sinha, gave him company on his 33rd birthday, one thing is for sure – the actor lived it up with a fun birthday party in Goa, also his favourite holiday spot.

Says a source, “Shahid’s gang of close buddies, including some who are not from the industry, made it a point to spend the day with him. They have been put up at a hotel near Morjim beach in north Goa. With the shoot for Haider in Kashmir now wrapped up, Shahid was in a mood to take off to a place with some sun and sand. He wanted to get away from the snowy climes in the Valley. Birthday celebrations, for him, are all about partying in Goa.” The actor, who is now sporting a cropped look for his film, apparently loves to party hard on birthdays.

Among the first to congratulate him was his R… Rajkumar co-star, Sonakshi Sinha. She wished the actor on the micro- blogging site, Twitter. “ Happy Birthday @shahidkapoor!! Goa mein gandi baat aur party all night okkk : p have funnnns!!” read her tweet. Sona even posted a snapshot of them that was taken during the promotions of R… Rajkumar.

It may be recalled that two years ago, Shahid had hosted a four-day long bash in Goa. At that time, Nargis Fakhri’s presence had fuelled speculation about their relationship. Snapshots of him with bikini-clad women were later shared by his buddy, photographer Atul Kasbekar.

Incidentally, Sasha always takes time off on his birthday. Last year, he was shooting for Phata Poster Niklla Hero, but he took a twoday break to celebrate.