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But again, for better or worse, it’s the nationwide success of Kabir Singh that revived Kapoor’s career. At times, of course, the Shah Rukh Khan-derived swag feels too performative he often overcooks the rakish manliness in movies like Jersey (2022), Kabir Singh(2019) (don’t me), R…Rajkumar (2013) and Phata Poster Nikla Hero (2013). It’s no coincidence that his much-hyped debut in Ken Ghosh’s Ishq Vishk (2003) – as an unappealing kid in a college love triangle – felt like a direct reaction to his popularity as “that cutie in the Aryans music video”. Yet, it’s only when Kapoor plays edgier, darker and Unlikable Male Characters – roles chosen precisely to counter that impossibly fresh face – that his performances become infinitely more interesting. Jab We Met (2007) broke that stereotype for a hot second, but he wasn’t quite the best Kapoor in that film Aditya’s maturity almost seemed too staged in Geet’s free-spirited journey. There are more, but it always seemed like he was the safest possible option in White Knight stories.

The odd Barjatya hit aside, this list is endless: Rangoon (2017), Padmaavat (2018) ,Mausam (2011), Teri Meri Kahaani (2012), Kismat Konnection (2008), Shaandaar (2015), Dil Bole Hadippa! (2009), Fida (2004), Dil Maange More (2004), Badmaash Company (2010). There’s always a sense that Kapoor’s trademark agelessness – one that shaped his rise from barely-legal music video favourite to mainstream Bollywood actor – has influenced his choice of roles as well as our perception of them.įor instance, he’s never really made a mark as the righteous and conventional Indian hero, because the merging of actor and character feels too virginal. One might assume that looking young to a fault is every celebrity’s dream, but in a cultural landscape where masculinity has become the broadest box-office draw, this is no longer the superpower it once was. Unlike most, Kapoor has valiantly battled against the boyishness of his face. He has tried and tested more than most, which is perhaps why he has also stayed relevant longer than most.īack to the conundrum. The jury might be out on his image as a bankable star, but his versatility – and his willingness to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks – has never been in question. He has established himself across two generations of male performers, surviving not just the superstar era but also reinventing himself in the age of the Singhs and the Dhawans. Kapoor’s done it all: Chocolate boy, romcom hunk, sanskari package, rugged hustler, massy action star, dancer, comedian, period hero, Shakespearean tragic and toxic lover.

This is both his biggest gift and greatest curse.įirst, some context.

It’s called the Shahid Kapoor conundrum - not for one moment does it seem that 2023 is the actor’s 20th year in the Hindi film industry.