From Ishq Vishk in 2003, that made him an overnight sensation, Shahid Kapoor, started out as a romantic hero and his next films such as Dil Maange More, 36 China Town, Chup Chup Ke and Vivaah strengthened his position in Bollywood. Our hearts reached out to him in Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met where he played Aditya, a heartbroken loner who meets a free-spirited girl one night and his life changes.
But it was Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey which was the actor’s first tryst with noir, a genre not very widely explored in Bollywood that showcased the actor’s versatility. Kaminey proved to be a game-changer for Shahid and won him wide critical acclaim. The film was a testament to his versatility and saw him essaying the parts of twin brothers, one that lisps and the other that stutters.With Prabhu Deva’s R… Rajkumar in 2013, Shahid was seen playing the larger-than-life Bollywood hero who can go to any extent to save the girl he loves. He was seen packing some solid punches, mouthing the most filmy dialogues ever and dancing to the beats of songs that went on become party anthems.
In 2014, he reunited with Vishal for Haider, an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. He played the titular character torn between moral dilemmas. The film won him awards and raving reviews and it remains one of his most earnest and gritty performances till date.
Udta Punjab proved to be another game-changer for Shahid who played a drug-addict rockstar in the film. He underwent intense physical transformation to slip under the skin of his character. His never-seen-before avatar was appreciated by the audience and the critics alike.
He emerged as the box office king with blockbusters, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Kabir Singh. The former saw him playing the dignified and strong Rajput ruler, Raja Ratan Singh and the latter had him playing a passionate, angry and self-destructive lover.
Currently, Shahid is busy shooting for his debut web series helmed by filmmaker duo Raj & DK. While much is not known about his character yet, we have learnt that he will be playing a rather different and challenging part in the crime thriller which also stars Vijay Sethupathi. Shahid is also awaiting the release of Jersey where he will be playing a cricketer for the first time.