MUMBAI: Shahid Kapoor opens up about the challenges faced by character actors in Bollywood

MUMBAI: There is a prejudice against star kids that every actor’s child is born with a silver spoon in his mouth. However, according to Shahid Kapoor, this is not true, as the power lies in the hands of superstars, big directors, producers, and not character actors.
In a conversation with Neha Dhupia on her chat show, Shahid Kapoor, who is the son of veteran actor Pankaj Kapur, delved into the nuanced dynamics of privilege and struggle within the Bollywood industry. Despite his lineage, Kapoor candidly addressed the challenges faced by character actors, highlighting the stark reality that only superstars wield significant influence while character actors often lack power.

Shahid expressed his belief in the importance of earning success through hard work, emphasizing the satisfaction derived from overcoming obstacles and earning recognition on merit. He said starting your struggle in a luxury car and then buying a luxury car after being successful doesn’t have any fun. One needs to know the challenge of traveling on local trains, and the complexity of arranging money for the first photoshoot, as the victory after this hard work tastes sweet.

He even reflected on being a background dancer during his initial days. He said, forget about enjoying a star status among the other background dancers, when you are working with choreographer Shaimak Dawar, you need to earn your place in the center. He expressed that there was a struggle and fight among his contemporaries to get a spot in the first row.

Amid these reflections, Kapoor remains focused on his craft, having recently commenced shooting for his upcoming action thriller, ‘Deva,’ which was announced last year.