Shahid Kapoor, who made his debut as a lead in the 2003 film Ishq Vishk, considers himself an outsider despite being the son of actors Pankaj Kapur and Neliima Azeem. In an interview with The Indian Express, he reflected on his early struggles and his close bond with his mother.
Shahid shared that seeing his mother raise him single-handedly after her divorce from Pankaj Kapur inspired him to start working at a young age. Neliima was just 22 when she gave birth to Shahid. “My mom was quite young when she had me. We were more like friends. My mom always took me wherever she went. And the fact that I was her first and elder son, somewhere I used to feel very responsible. In my case, I didn’t grow up around my father. So at such situations, you don’t see your age but feel like, ‘I am the man of the house’. Of course, at that time, I didn’t have too much to offer, but I had the courage to stand up for my mother. I always felt very protective and loving towards my mom. Our bond was different. She always treated me like a friend, and I think that was the best thing between us. We continue to share the same bond.”
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Before making it in films, Shahid appeared in a music video at 18, did ad campaigns, and worked as a background dancer in films like Taal starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. He recalled, “Because both my parents were super achievers, I just wanted to prove myself and do something substantial in life. I didn’t want to waste my life.”
He added, “My mom was a single parent, and I didn’t want to burden her with my expenses. The only thing that ran in my head was, ‘I need to start making money.’ I wanted to support my mom since the age of 14-16. She was single-handedly taking care of everything. I want to be able to participate and contribute and if not more, I at least need to take care of my own expenses. So it all started there.”
Shahid clarified that his acting career wasn’t a given despite his father being an actor. “A lot of people simply think I became an actor because my father is one, but that’s not the case. Yes, he is an actor, but I never stayed with him. I did want to try that career, but never knew if it will pan out for me. It was destiny that made it happen for me.”
Following Ishq Vishk, Shahid faced multiple box office failures before gaining recognition with Vivah (2006). He cemented his position with films like Jab We Met, Haider, and Kaminey.
Currently, he is gearing up for his action-thriller Deva, set to release on January 31.
